Phys.org September 27, 2024
Microstrain and the associated surface-to-bulk propagation of structural defects are known to be major roadblocks for developing high-energy and long-life batteries. However, the origin and effects of microstrain during the synthesis of battery materials remain largely unknown. A team of researchers in the US (Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory) performed microstrain screening during real-time and realistic synthesis of sodium layered oxide cathodes and gathered evidence from multiscale in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and microscopy characterization. They found that the spatial distribution of transition metals within individual precursor particles strongly governed the nanoscale phase transformation, local charge heterogeneity and accumulation of microstrain during synthesis. The dominance of transition metals resulted in a counterintuitive outward propagation of defect nucleation and growth. According to the researchers their findings showed a more rational synthesis route to reduce the microstrain and crystallographic defects within the bulk lattice, leading to significantly improved structural stability… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE