(Invited) Solvent-Based Synthesis and Integration of Nanostructured Alloying Electrode Composites with Controlled Surface Chemistry and Morphology

Careful control over composition, morphology, and surface chemistry are critical in virtually every materials system, and it is vital that these attributes are preserved in any scalable production process. This talk will explore the important role that the above characteristics play in our group’s research on the supercritical-fluid-based synthesis and integration of nanostructured, high-capacity alloying electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage in Li- and Na-ion battery systems. Clearly, careful control over interfacial chemistry and surface reactions are critical for the design of robust electrochemical systems. These nanostructured composite materials have short internal diffusion pathways, possess robust mechanical characteristics, and can be processed in either liquid dispersion or solid/powder form. We show that careful control over active material surface chemistry helps to facilitate robust solid-electrolyte interphase layer formation, demonstrate that nanowire-based alloying electrodes can maintain capacity retention in the complete absence of fluorinated additives, fluorinated electrolytes, and fluorinated binders, and show that electrode processing plays a critical role in the formation of a robust composite architecture and overall device performance. In addition, the effects of structural anisotropy and surface oxidation on the sodiation of high-power-density, nanostructured antimony alloying electrodes will also be discussed.