TY - JOUR
T1 - On the nanoscale structural evolution of solid discharge products in lithium-sulfur batteries using operando scattering
AU - Prehal, Christian
AU - von Mentlen, Jean Marc
AU - Drvarič Talian, Sara
AU - Vizintin, Alen
AU - Dominko, Robert
AU - Amenitsch, Heinz
AU - Porcar, Lionel
AU - Freunberger, Stefan A.
AU - Wood, Vanessa
N1 - Funding Information:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant NanoEvolution, grant agreement No 894042. The authors acknowledge the CERIC-ERIC Consortium for the access to the Austrian SAXS beamline and TU Graz for support through the Lead Project LP-03. Likewise, the use of SOMAPP Lab, a core facility supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Graz University of Technology, the University of Graz, and Anton Paar GmbH is acknowledged. In addition, the authors acknowledge access to the D-22 SANS beamline at the ILL neutron source. Electron microscopy measurements were performed at the Scientific Scenter for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. C.P. and J.M.M. thank A. Senol for her support with the SANS beamtime preparation. S.D.T, A.V. and R.D. acknowledge the financial support by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) research core funding P2-0393 and P2-0423. Furthermore, A.V. acknowledge the funding from the Slovenian Research Agency, research project Z2−1863. S.A.F. is indebted to IST Austria for support.
Funding Information:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant NanoEvolution, grant agreement No 894042. The authors acknowledge the CERIC-ERIC Consortium for the access to the Austrian SAXS beamline and TU Graz for support through the Lead Project LP-03. Likewise, the use of SOMAPP Lab, a core facility supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Graz University of Technology, the University of Graz, and Anton Paar GmbH is acknowledged. In addition, the authors acknowledge access to the D-22 SANS beamline at the ILL neutron source. Electron microscopy measurements were performed at the Scientific Scenter for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. C.P. and J.M.M. thank A. Senol for her support with the SANS beamtime preparation. S.D.T, A.V. and R.D. acknowledge the financial support by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) research core funding P2-0393 and P2-0423. Furthermore, A.V. acknowledge the funding from the Slovenian Research Agency, research project Z2−1863. S.A.F. is indebted to IST Austria for support.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - The inadequate understanding of the mechanisms that reversibly convert molecular sulfur (S) into lithium sulfide (Li2S) via soluble polysulfides (PSs) formation impedes the development of high-performance lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with non-aqueous electrolyte solutions. Here, we use operando small and wide angle X-ray scattering and operando small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements to track the nucleation, growth and dissolution of solid deposits from atomic to sub-micron scales during real-time Li-S cell operation. In particular, stochastic modelling based on the SANS data allows quantifying the nanoscale phase evolution during battery cycling. We show that next to nano-crystalline Li2S the deposit comprises solid short-chain PSs particles. The analysis of the experimental data suggests that initially, Li2S2 precipitates from the solution and then is partially converted via solid-state electroreduction to Li2S. We further demonstrate that mass transport, rather than electron transport through a thin passivating film, limits the discharge capacity and rate performance in Li-S cells.
AB - The inadequate understanding of the mechanisms that reversibly convert molecular sulfur (S) into lithium sulfide (Li2S) via soluble polysulfides (PSs) formation impedes the development of high-performance lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with non-aqueous electrolyte solutions. Here, we use operando small and wide angle X-ray scattering and operando small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements to track the nucleation, growth and dissolution of solid deposits from atomic to sub-micron scales during real-time Li-S cell operation. In particular, stochastic modelling based on the SANS data allows quantifying the nanoscale phase evolution during battery cycling. We show that next to nano-crystalline Li2S the deposit comprises solid short-chain PSs particles. The analysis of the experimental data suggests that initially, Li2S2 precipitates from the solution and then is partially converted via solid-state electroreduction to Li2S. We further demonstrate that mass transport, rather than electron transport through a thin passivating film, limits the discharge capacity and rate performance in Li-S cells.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85140481367&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-022-33931-4
DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-33931-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 36280671
AN - SCOPUS:85140481367
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 13
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 6326
ER -