Metal-Free Polymer-Based Current Collector for High Energy Density Lithium-Metal Batteries.

The energy density of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) relies substantially on the thickness of the lithium-metal anode. However, a bare, thin lithium foil electrode is vulnerable to fragmentation due to the inhomogeneity of the lithium stripping/plating process, disrupting the electron conduction pathway along the electrode. Accordingly, the current collector is an integral part to prevent the resulting loss of electronic conductivity.

Dendritic Copper Current Collectors as a Capacity Boosting Material for Polymer-Templated Si/Ge/C Anodes in Li-Ion Batteries.

Dendritic copper offers a highly effective method for synthesizing porous copper anodes due to its intricate branching structure. This morphology results in an elevated surface area-to-volume ratio, facilitating shortened electron pathways during aqueous and electrolyte permeation. Here, we demonstrate a procedure for a time- and cost-efficient synthesis routine of fern-like copper microstructures as a host for polymer-templated Si/Ge/C thin films.

Dynamic Structure Evolution of Extensively Delithiated High Voltage Spinel LiNiMnO < 1.5.

High voltage spinel is one of the most promising next-generation cobalt-free cathode materials for lithium ion battery applications. Besides the typically utilized compositional range of LiNiMnO4 0 < < 1 in the voltage window of 4.90-3.

Li-ion half-cells studied during cycling by small-angle neutron scattering.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was recently applied to the and study of the charge/discharge process in Li-ion battery full-cells based on a pouch cell design. Here, this work is continued in a half-cell with a graphite electrode cycled a metallic lithium counter electrode, in a study conducted on the SANS-1 instrument of the neutron source FRM II at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum in Garching, Germany. It is confirmed that the SANS integrated intensity signal varies as a function of graphite lithiation, and this variation can be explained by changes in the squared difference in scattering length density between graphite and the electrolyte.

Low-Temperature Charging and Aging Mechanisms of Si/C Composite Anodes in Li-Ion Batteries: An Operando Neutron Scattering Study.

The addition of Si compounds to graphite anodes has become an attractive way of increasing the practical specific energies in Li-ion cells. Previous studies involving Si/C anodes lacked direct insight into the processes occurring in full cells during low-temperature operation. In this study, a powerful combination of operando neutron diffraction, electrochemical tests, and post-mortem analysis is used for the investigation of Li-ion cells.

Combined Small-Angle X-ray and Neutron Scattering Restraints in Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Small-angle X-ray and small-angle neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) provide unique structural information on biomolecules and their complexes in solution. SANS may provide multiple independent data sets by means of contrast variation experiments, that is, by measuring at different DO concentrations and different perdeuteration conditions of the biomolecular complex. However, even the combined data from multiple SAXS/SANS sets is by far insufficient to define all degrees of freedom of a complex, leading to a significant risk of overfitting when refining biomolecular structures against SAXS/SANS data.

Calibrating SANS data for instrument geometry and pixel sensitivity effects: access to an extended range.

An improved data-reduction procedure is proposed and demonstrated for small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. Its main feature is the correction of geometry- and wavelength-dependent intensity variations on the detector in a separate step from the different pixel sensitivities: the geometric and wavelength effects can be corrected analytically, while pixel sensitivities have to be calibrated to a reference measurement. The geometric effects are treated for position-sensitive He proportional counter tubes, where they are anisotropic owing to the cylindrical geometry of the gas tubes.

Changes within the stabilizing layer of ZnO nanoparticles upon washing.

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are highly relevant for various industrial applications, however, after synthesis of the NPs residual chemicals need to be removed from the colloidal raw product by washing, as they may influence the performance of the final device. In the present study we focus on the effect of washing by antisolvent flocculation with subsequent redispersion of the NPs on the stabilizing acetate shell. Purification of the ZnO nanoparticles is reported to be optimal with respect to zeta potential that has a maximum after one washing cycle.

Mesoscopic structures of triglyceride nanosuspensions studied by small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering and computer simulations.

Aqueous suspensions of platelet-like shaped tripalmitin nanocrystals are studied here at high tripalmitin concentrations (10 wt % tripalmitin) for the first time by a combination of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). The suspensions are stabilized by different lecithins, namely, DLPC, DOPC, and the lecithin blend S100. At such high concentrations the platelets start to self-assemble in stacks, which causes interference maxima at low Q-values in the SAXS and SANS patterns, respectively.