Direct imaging of two chemical processes shows reason behind electrode material's collapse
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 - 05:31
in Physics & Chemistry
When multiple lithium ions intend to crowd into one empty spot in an electrode's atomic framework, they start competing for the nearby oxygen atoms. They tug on the oxygen, distorting the material and eventually causing it to collapse, according to a team led by scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They obtained the first atomic-resolution view of this activity with lithium, sodium, and calcium ions.