Browsing by Author "López del Amo, JM"

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    High-performance P2-phase Na2/3Mn0. 8Fe0. 1Ti0. 1O2 cathode material for ambient-temperature sodium-ion batteries
    (American Chemical Society, 2015-11-25) Han, MH; Gonzalo, E; Sharma, N; López del Amo, JM; Armand, M; Avdeev, M; Saiz Garitaonandia, JJ; Rojo, T
    High-performance Mn-rich P2-phase Na2/3Mn0.8Fe0.1Ti0.1O2 is synthesized by a ceramic method, and its stable electrochemical performance is demonstrated. 23Na solid-state NMR confirms the substitution of Ti4+ ions in the transition metal oxide layer and very fast Na+ mobility in the interlayer space. The pristine electrode delivers a second charge/discharge capacity of 146.57/144.16 mA·h·g–1 and retains 95.09% of discharge capacity at the 50th cycle within the voltage range 4.0–2.0 V at C/10. At 1C, the reversible specific capacity still reaches 99.40 mA·h·g–1, and capacity retention of 87.70% is achieved from second to 300th cycle. In addition, the moisture-exposed electrode reaches reversible capacities of more than 130 and 80 mA·h·g–1 for C/10 and 1C, respectively, with excellent capacity retention. The correlation between overall electrochemical performance of both electrodes and crystal structural characteristics are investigated by neutron powder diffraction. The stability of pristine electrode’s crystallographic structure during the charge/discharge process has been investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction, where only a solid solution reaction occurs within the given voltage range except for a small biphasic mechanism occurring at or below 2.2 V during the discharge process. The relatively small substitution (20%) at the transition metal site leads to stable electrochemical performance, which is in part derived from the structural stability during electrochemical cycling. Therefore, the small cosubstitution (e.g., with Ti and Fe) route suggests a possible new scope for the design of sodium-ion battery electrodes that are suitable for long-term cycling. © 2015 American Chemical Society
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    Moisture exposed layered oxide electrodes as Na-ion battery cathodes
    (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016-11-09) Han, MH; Sharma, N; Gonzalo, E; Pramudita, JC; Brand, HEA; López del Amo, JM; Rojo, T
    Mn-rich layered oxides of P2 Na2/3Mn0.8Fe0.1Ti0.1O2 have been shown to exhibit a remarkably stable electrochemical performance even after exposure to moisture for extended periods of time. Here, a detailed investigation of the electrochemical performance of pristine, protonated, and hydrated electrodes is reported. Neutron powder diffraction and 23Na NMR are employed in order to correlate the overall electrochemical performance of each electrode with that of the as-synthesized crystal structure. The effects of proton and water (or OH) moieties on the Na+ layers are discussed based on the electrochemical performance of each phase. The complete structural evolution of the protonated and pristine P2 Na2/3Mn0.8Fe0.1Ti0.1O2 electrodes during charge/discharge is determined via in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The protonated phase at the potential cut-offs (1.5-4.2 and 2-4 V) and the applied currents used shows a predominantly solid-solution reaction with little evidence of a secondary phase while the pristine phase shows the formation of secondary phases and typically better electrochemical capacities. Therefore, the formation of the secondary phase, in part, enhances capacity in this system. Thus moisture exposure (and subsequent treatment) of generally P2 electrodes can lead to significantly different structural evolution during charge/discharge reactions and hence observed capacities. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.