Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/01/2020
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

TITLE:           Magnetic Resonance Investigations of Transport Phenomena inLithium-Ion Battery Electrolyte Materials   

Date:               Tuesday, January7, 2020 

Time:               1:30 – 2:30 p.m. 

Place:               ABB163 

Supervisor:      Dr. GillianGoward      

ABSTRACT

 Thisseminar will focus on the application of magnetic resonance methods to thecharacterization and quantification of lithium-ion transport in a wide range oflithium-ion battery electrolyte materials relevant to the electromobility andenergy storage sectors. In particular, field-gradient magnetic resonancetechniques, in the form of PFG-NMR diffusivity measurements of both liquid- andsolid-state electrolytes and in situ MRI of electrochemical cells,comprise the core means by which these characterizations were realized. PFG-NMRand ionic conductivity studies of a range of liquid-state electrolyte mixtureswere performed, as a function of temperature, to assess how key mass and chargetransport properties reflect differences in composition. In situ MRI wasused to study the effect of temperature on steady-state concentration gradientformation in polarized liquid electrolytes, with the results quantitativelycompared to model predictions. This approach was then extended, using acombination of MRI and spatially-resolved PFG-NMR, to study the interlinkedeffects of temperature and current density on concentration gradient formation,and to attempt a comprehensive characterization of the ion transport parameterswith spatial resolution. Finally, PFG-NMR and MAS-NMR were applied in asolid-state electrolyte context to investigate compositional effects on iontransport in the argyrodite family of lithium-sulphide ion conductors, and theinfluence of macroscopic sample format (glass, crystalline powder, compressedcrystalline pellet) on micro-scale ion transport in a thio-LISICON ionconductor. Taken together, the studies demonstrate the effectiveness ofmagnetic resonance methods for the robust elucidation of the means by whichmaterial properties impact ion transport in technologically-relevantlithium-ion electrolyte systems.