This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, R.O.C., under the funding number of NSC 102-2221-E-002-146-, MOST 103-2221-E-002-233-, and MOST 104-2628-E-002-016-MY3.

1. Construction of a SLFB Beaker Cell with a Sodium Acetate Additive
NOTE: This section describes the procedure to construct a SLFB beaker cell with an additive for long-term cycling experiment. The protocol includes the electrolyte preparation with and without additive, electrode pretreatment, cell assembly, and efficiency calculations.
<ol>
	<li>Preparation of lead methanesulfonate (1 L, 1 M as an example)
	<ol>
		<li>In the fume hood, add 274.6 g of methanesulfonic acid (MSA, 70%) to a beaker stirring with a stir bar. Dissolve the MSA with 300 mL of deionized (DI) water.</li>
		<li>Prepare 223.2 g of lead (II) oxide (98%) and add in increments to the aforementioned beaker until the prepared lead oxide is completely dissolved.</li>
		<li>Filter through the B&#252;chner funnel with 70 mm cellulose filter paper to separate any undissolved lead oxide.</li>
		<li>Repeat this procedure for 3 times. Add DI water to reach 1 L in total volume.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparation of electrolyte without additive (300 mL)
	<ol>
		<li>Add 20.595 g of MSA (70%) to a beaker. Add 150 mL of prepared 1 M lead methanesulfonate to the same beaker.</li>
		<li>Add DI water to reach 300 mL in total volume and stir the electrolyte until uniformly mixed, which results in a solution of 0.5 M lead methanesulfonate mixed with 0.5 M MSA.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparation of electrolyte with sodium acetate (300 mL) 
	<ol>
		<li>Add 20.595 g of MSA (70%) to a beaker. Add 150 mL of prepared 1 M lead methanesulfonate to the same beaker.</li>
		<li>Add 1.23 g of NaOAc (98%) to the beaker as an additive agent.</li>
		<li>Add DI water to reach 300 mL in total volume and stir the electrolyte until uniformly mixed, which results in a solution of 0.5 M lead methanesulfonate, 0.5 M methanesulfonic acid, and 50 mM sodium acetate.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Pretreatment of the positive and negative electrodes
	<ol>
		<li>Repeatedly polish the positive (commercial carbon composite) and negative (nickel) electrodes with a sandpaper (aluminum oxide, P100) until no visible impurities are left and then rinse electrodes with DI water.</li>
		<li>Add 20.83 g of hydrogen chloride (35%) in 200 mL DI water and stir the solution until all of the hydrogen chloride is dissolved.</li>
		<li>Immerse the entire positive electrode in the prepared 1 M hydrogen chloride solution overnight to remove impurities at the electrode surface.</li>
		<li>Rinse the positive electrode thoroughly with DI water and dry the electrode with delicate task wipers. Tape one side of each electrode using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape while exposing the other side of the electrodes.</li>
		<li>Prepare another solution with 3.03 g of potassium nitrate (99%) and 300 mL DI water, which results in a solution of 0.1 M potassium nitrate.</li>
		<li>Immerse the positive and negative electrodes in 0.1 M potassium nitrate with the exposed surface facing each electrode.</li>
		<li>Apply a potential of 1.80 V vs. Ag/AgCl to the positive electrode for 5 min. Subsequently, apply a potential of -1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl to the positive electrode for 2 min.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Assemble the SLFB beaker cell
	<ol>
		<li>Attach the pretreated positive and negative electrodes to a home-made electrode positioning board for a fixed electrode distance. Place the positioning board together with electrodes in a beaker as schematically illustrated in Figure 1 and add electrolyte to the beaker until the designated level of immersion.</li>
		<li>Place a magnetic stirrer into the beaker, position the beaker on a hot plate and control the rotating rate of the stirrer. Connect the battery tester to the electrodes and cover the beaker cell with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Calculate the battery efficiency
	<ol>
		<li>After galvanostatic charge and discharge, calculate the efficiency of the battery as the following: 
		Coulombic efficiency: <img alt="Equation 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/58484/58484eq1.jpg" /> 
		Voltage efficiency: <img alt="Equation 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/58484/58484eq2.jpg" /> 
		Energy efficiency: <img alt="Equation 3" src="/files/ftp_upload/58484/58484eq3.jpg" /> 
		Here, Q denotes coulombs of charged/discharged equivalent electrons, V the apply/output voltage, and E the total energy stored/consumed.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Throwing Index Measurement
NOTE: This section describes the procedure to measure throwing index (TI) of the electrodeposit at positive electrodes in SLFB cells. Reversing the role of positive and negative electrodes delivers the other set of TI results. Here, TI is investigated by using a home-made Haring-Blum cell as schematically depicted in Figure 2.
<ol>
	<li>Measurement
	<ol>
		<li>Weigh and record two positive electrodes respectively before the experiments.</li>
		<li>Place the negative electrode at the center of a Haring-Blum cell and one positive electrode at a distance ratio of 1 from the negative electrode. Place the second positive electrode at another distance ratio from the negative electrode (take 6 as an example in Figure 2).</li>
		<li>Immerse the two positive electrodes and one negative electrode with the same immersed surface area (2 cm2 here) in the Haring-Blum cell with the electrolyte of interest.</li>
		<li>Apply a controlled current density (20 mA&#183;cm-2 here) at the electrodes by using a battery tester. Carry out the galvanostatic charge for a certain duration (30 min here).</li>
		<li>After plating, rinse the two positive electrodes with DI water and dry them at room temperature overnight.</li>
		<li>Weigh and record two positive electrodes again respectively and calculate the metal distribution ratio (MDR) according to the equation listed below.</li>
		<li>Repeat the aforementioned experiments by placing the second positive electrode at various linear distance ratios (LR) to acquire the TI diagram (varied from 6 to 1 here).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Calculation
	<ol>
		<li>As an example, consider the anode as the electrode of interest, and determine each data on the TI diagram by the measured MDR versus LR, which are calculated as the following: 
		<img alt="Equation 7" src="/files/ftp_upload/58484/58484eq7.jpg" /> 
		<img alt="Equation 8" src="/files/ftp_upload/58484/58484eq8.jpg" /></li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. SEM Sample Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Rinse the graphite electrode with DI water and dry at room temperature after electroplating.</li>
	<li>Slice graphite electrodes into the desired sample size by diamond saw with care. Cold mount the electrode sample and then mechanically polish it with 14, 8, and 3 &#956;m silicon carbide sand papers, subsequently.</li>
	<li>Further polish the samples with 1 &#956;m diamond suspension and 0.05 &#956;m Al2O3. Deposit the cold-mounted sample with platinum and attach it with copper tapes to ensure conductivity for SEM observation.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Soloveichik, G. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flow+batteries:+current+status+&amp;+trends.">Flow batteries: current status &amp; trends.</a> Chemical Reviews. 115 (20), 11533-11558 (2015).</li><li>Ravikumar, M. K., Rathod, S., Jaiswal, N., Patil, S., Shukla, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+renaissance+in+redox+flow+batteries.">The renaissance in redox flow batteries.</a> Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry. 21 (9), 2467-2488 (2017).</li><li>Hazza, A., Pletcher, D., Wills, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery:+A+lead+acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II)+Part+I.+Preliminary+studies.">A novel flow battery: A lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II) Part I. Preliminary studies.</a> Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 6 (8), 1773-1778 (2004).</li><li>Pletcher, D., Wills, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery:+A+lead+acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II)+Part+II.+Flow+cell+studies.">A novel flow battery: A lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II) Part II. Flow cell studies.</a> Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 6 (8), 1779-1785 (2004).</li><li>Pletcher, D., Wills, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery-a+lead+acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II).+III.+The+influence+of+conditions+on+battery+performance.">A novel flow battery-a lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II). III. The influence of conditions on battery performance.</a> Journal of Power Sources. 149, 96-102 (2005).</li><li>Hazza, A., Pletcher, D., Wills, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery-a+lead+acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II).+IV.+The+influence+of+additives.">A novel flow battery-a lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II). IV. The influence of additives.</a> Journal of Power Sources. 149, 103-111 (2005).</li><li>Pletcher, D., Zhou, H., Kear, G., Low, C. T. J., Walsh, F. C., Wills, R. G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery-A+lead-acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II).+V.+Studies+of+the+lead+negative+electrode.">A novel flow battery-A lead-acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II). V. Studies of the lead negative electrode.</a> Journal of Power Sources. 180 (1), 621-629 (2008).</li><li>Pletcher, D., Zhou, H., Kear, G., Low, C. T. J., Walsh, F. C., Wills, R. G. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery-A+lead-acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II).+Part+VI.+Studies+of+the+lead+dioxide+positive+electrode.">A novel flow battery-A lead-acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II). Part VI. Studies of the lead dioxide positive electrode.</a> Journal of Power Sources. 180 (1), 630-634 (2008).</li><li>Li, X., Pletcher, D., Walsh, F. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+flow+battery:+a+lead+acid+battery+based+on+an+electrolyte+with+soluble+lead+(II).+Part+VII.+Further+studies+of+the+lead+dioxide+positive+electrode.">A novel flow battery: a lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead (II). Part VII. Further studies of the lead dioxide positive electrode.</a> Electrochimica Acta. 54 (20), 4688-4695 (2009).</li><li>Krishna, M., Fraser, E. J., Wills, R. G. A., Walsh, F. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Developments+in+soluble+lead+flow+batteries+and+remaining+challenges:+An+illustrated+review.">Developments in soluble lead flow batteries and remaining challenges: An illustrated review.</a> Journal of Energy Storage. 15, 69-90 (2018).</li><li>Lin, Y. -. T., Tan, H. -. L., Lee, C. -. Y., Chen, H. -. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stabilizing+the+electrodeposit-electrolyte+interphase+in+soluble+lead+flow+batteries+with+ethanoate+additive.">Stabilizing the electrodeposit-electrolyte interphase in soluble lead flow batteries with ethanoate additive.</a> Electrochimica Acta. 263, 60-67 (2018).</li><li>Oury, A., Kirchev, A., Bultel, Y., Chainet, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PbO2/Pb2++cycling+in+methanesulfonic+acid+and+mechanisms+associated+for+soluble+lead-acid+flow+battery+applications.">PbO2/Pb2+ cycling in methanesulfonic acid and mechanisms associated for soluble lead-acid flow battery applications.</a> Electrochimica Acta. 71, 140-149 (2012).</li><li>Oury, A., Kirchev, A., Bultel, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Potential+response+of+lead+dioxide/Lead+(II)+galvanostatic+cycling+in+methanesulfonic+acid:+a+morphologico-kinetics+interpretation.">Potential response of lead dioxide/Lead (II) galvanostatic cycling in methanesulfonic acid: a morphologico-kinetics interpretation.</a> Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 160 (1), A148-A154 (2013).</li></ol>

We have nothing to disclose.

This paper describes an economical method to extend the cycle life of SLFBs: by employing NaOAc agent as an electrolyte additive. A batch of fresh graphite electrodes and nickel plates are preprocessed as aforementioned in Step 1 before long-term cycling experiments. Because inconsistency among commercial carbon electrodes may cause performance deviation of the SLFBs, the physical/chemical pretreatment in Step 1.4 is critical to remove surface residues. The second part of Step 1.4 is employing electrochemical methods to ...

Renewable energy sources including solar and wind have been developed for decades, but their intermittent nature poses great challenges. For a future power grid with renewable energy sources incorporated, grid stabilization and load leveling are critical and can be achieved by integrating energy storage. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are one of the promising options for grid-scale energy storage. Traditional RFBs contain ion-selective membranes separating anolyte and catholyte; for example, the all-vanadium RFB has shown to operate with high efficiency and a long cycle life1,2. However, their market share as energy storage is very limited in part due to the expensive comprising materials and ineffective ion-selective membranes. On the other hand, a single-flow soluble lead flow battery (SLFB) is presented by Plectcher et al.1,2,3,4,5. The SLFB is membrane-less because it has only one active species, Pb(II) ions. Pb(II) ions are electroplated at the positive electrode as PbO2 and the negative electrode as Pb simultaneously during charging, and convert back to Pb(II) during discharging. A SLFB thus needs one circulation pump and one electrolyte storage tank only, which in turn can potentially lead to reduced capital and operational cost compared to conventional RFBs. The published cycle life of SLFBs, however, is so far limited to less than 200 cycles under normal flow conditions6,7,8,9,10.
Factors leading to a short SLFB cycle life is preliminarily associated with deposition/dissolution of PbO2 at the positive electrode. During charge/discharge processes, the electrolyte acidity is found to increase over deep or repeated cycles11, and protons are suggested to induce the generation of a passivation layer of non-stoichiometric PbOx12,13. The shedding of PbO2 is another phenomenon related to SLFB degradation. Shed PbO2 particles are irreversible and can no longer be utilized. The coulombic efficiency (CE) of SLFBs consequentially declines because of imbalanced electrochemical reactions as well as accumulated electrodeposits at both electrodes. To extend cycle life of SLFBs, stabilizing the pH fluctuation and electrodeposit structure are critical. A recent paper demonstrates an enhanced performance and extended cycle life of SLFBs with addition of sodium acetate (NaOAc) in methanesulfonic electrolyte11.
Here, a detailed protocol for employing NaOAc as an additive to the methanesulfonic electrolyte in SLFBs is described. The SLFB performance is shown to be enhanced and the lifespan can be extended by over 50% in comparison to SLFBs without NaOAc additives. In addition, procedures for throwing index (TI) measurement are illustrated for the purpose of quantitative comparison of additive effects on electrodeposition. Finally, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sample preparation method for electrodeposit on SLFB electrodes is described and the additive impact on electrodeposit is manifested in acquired images.

<table><tbody><tr><td>70 mm cellulose filter paper</td><td>Advance</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Autolab</td><td>Metrohm</td><td>PGSTA302N</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>BT-Lab</td><td>BioLogic</td><td>BCS-810</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>commercial carbon composite electrode</td><td>Homy Tech,Taiwan</td><td></td><td>Density 1.75 g cm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;, and electrical conductivity 330 S cm&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;</td></tr><tr><td>Diamond saw</td><td>Buehler</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hydrochloric Acid</td><td>SHOWA</td><td>0812-0150-000-69SW</td><td>35%</td></tr><tr><td>Lead (II) Oxide</td><td>SHOWA</td><td>1209-0250-000-23SW</td><td>98%</td></tr><tr><td>Lutropur MSA</td><td>BASF</td><td>50707525</td><td>70%</td></tr><tr><td>nickel plate</td><td>Lien Hung Alloy Trading Co., LTD., Taiwan,&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td><td>99%</td></tr><tr><td>Potassium Nitrate</td><td>Scharlab</td><td>28703-95</td><td>99%</td></tr><tr><td>Scanning electron microscopy</td><td>JEOL</td><td>JSM-7800F</td><td>at accelerating voltage of 15 kV</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium Acetate</td><td>SHOWA</td><td>1922-5250-000-23SW</td><td>98%</td></tr><tr><td>water purification system</td><td>Barnstead MicroPure</td><td></td><td>&amp;nbsp;18.2 M&amp;Omega;&amp;nbsp;&amp;bull; cm</td></tr></tbody></table>

extending the lifespan of soluble lead flow batteries with a sodium acetate additive

In this report, we present a method for the construction of a soluble lead flow battery (SLFB) with an extended cycle life. By supplying an adequate amount of sodium acetate (NaOAc) to the electrolyte, a cycle life extension of over 50% is demonstrated for SLFBs via long-term galvanostatic charge/discharge experiments. A higher quality of the PbO2 electrodeposit at the positive electrode is quantitatively validated for NaOAc-added electrolyte by throwing index (TI) measurements. Images acquired by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) also exhibit more integrated PbO2 surface morphology when the SLFB is operated with the NaOAc-added electrolyte. This work indicates that electrolyte modification can be a plausible route to economically enable SLFBs for large-scale energy storage.

To extend cycle life of SLFBs, NaOAc is supplied as an electrolyte additive. Cycling performance of SLFBs with and without NaOAc additive are examined in parallel, and results are shown in Figure 3. For easier quantitative comparison of cycle life, we define the &#34;death&#34; of a SLFB as when its CE is lower than 80% under continuous galvanostatic charge/discharge. Figure 3a and 3b show that approximately 50% ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Extending the Lifespan of Soluble Lead Flow Batteries with a Sodium Acetate Additive at JoVE.com

Extending the Lifespan of Soluble Lead Flow Batteries with a Sodium Acetate Additive

A protocol for the construction of a soluble lead flow battery with an extended lifespan, in which sodium acetate is supplied in the methanesulfonic electrolyte as an additive, is presented.

In this report, we present a method for the construction of a soluble lead flow battery (SLFB) with an extended cycle life. By supplying an adequate ...

extending-lifespan-soluble-lead-flow-batteries-with-sodium-acetate

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

9.1K Views.  National Taiwan University. A protocol for the construction of a soluble lead flow battery with an extended lifespan, in which sodium acetate is supplied in the methanesulfonic electrolyte as an additive, is presented.

Video: Extending the Lifespan of Soluble Lead Flow Batteries with a Sodium Acetate Additive

Construction and Testing of Coin Cells of Lithium Ion Batteries

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have wide applications in electronics, where customers always demand more capacity and longer lifetime. Lithium ion batteries have also been considered to be used in electric and hybrid vehicles1 or even electrical grid stabilization systems2. All these applications simulate a dramatic increase in the research and development of battery materials3-7, including new materials3,8, doping9, nanostructuring10-13, coatings or surface modifications14-17 and novel binders18. Consequently, an increasing number of physicists, chemists and materials scientists have recently ventured into this area. Coin cells are widely used in research laboratories to test new battery materials; even for the research and development that target large-scale and high-power applications, small coin cells are often used to test the capacities and rate capabilities of new materials in the initial stage. 
 In 2010, we started a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored research project to investigate the surface adsorption and disordering in battery materials (grant no. DMR-1006515). In the initial stage of this project, we have struggled to learn the techniques of assembling and testing coin cells, which cannot be achieved without numerous help of other researchers in other universities (through frequent calls, email exchanges and two site visits). Thus, we feel that it is beneficial to document, by both text and video, a protocol of assembling and testing a coin cell, which will help other new researchers in this field. This effort represents the "Broader Impact" activities of our NSF project, and it will also help to educate and inspire students.
In this video article, we document a protocol to assemble a CR2032 coin cell with a LiCoO2 working electrode, a Li counter electrode, and (the mostly commonly used) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. To ensure new learners to readily repeat the protocol, we keep the protocol as specific and explicit as we can. However, it is important to note that in specific research and development work, many parameters adopted here can be varied. First, one can make coin cells of different sizes and test the working electrode against a counter electrode other than Li. Second, the amounts of C black and binder added into the working electrodes are often varied to suit the particular purpose of research; for example, large amounts of C black or even inert powder were added to the working electrode to test the "intrinsic" performance of cathode materials14. Third, better binders (other than PVDF) have also developed and used18. Finally, other types of electrolytes (instead of LiPF6) can also be used; in fact, certain high-voltage electrode materials will require the uses of special electrolytes7.

A protocol to construct and test coin cells of lithium ion batteries is described. The specific procedures of making a working electrode, preparing a counter electrode, assembling a cell inside a glovebox and testing the cell are presented.

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have wide applications in electronics, where customers always demand more capacity and longer lifetime.  Lithium ion ...

Engineering

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Battery safety has been a very important research area over the past decade. Commercially available lithium ion batteries employ low flash point (&lt;80 &deg;C), flammable, and volatile organic electrolytes. These organic based electrolyte systems are viable at ambient temperatures, but require a cooling system to ensure that temperatures do not exceed 80 &deg;C. These cooling systems tend to increase battery costs and can malfunction which can lead to battery malfunction and explosions, thus endangering human life. Increases in petroleum prices lead to a huge demand for safe, electric hybrid vehicles that are more economically viable to operate as oil prices continue to rise. Existing organic based electrolytes used in lithium ion batteries are not applicable to high temperature automotive applications. A safer alternative to organic electrolytes is solid polymer electrolytes. This work will highlight the synthesis for a graft copolymer electrolyte (GCE) poly(oxyethylene) methacrylate (POEM) to a block with a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) poly(oxyethylene) acrylate (POEA). The conduction mechanism has been discussed and it has been demonstrated the relationship between polymer segmental motion and ionic conductivity indeed has a Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) dependence. Batteries containing commercially available LP30 organic (LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate (EC):dimethyl carbonate (DMC) at a 1:1 ratio) and GCE were cycled at ambient temperature. It was found that at ambient temperature, the batteries containing GCE showed a greater overpotential when compared to LP30 electrolyte. However at temperatures greater than 60 &deg;C, the GCE cell exhibited much lower overpotential due to fast polymer electrolyte conductivity and nearly the full theoretical specific capacity of 170 mAh/g was accessed.

Lithium ion batteries employ flammable and volatile organic electrolytes that are suitable for ambient temperature applications. A safer alternative to organic electrolytes are solid polymer batteries. Solid polymer batteries operate safely at high temperatures (&gt;120 &deg;C), thus making them applicable to high temperature applications such as deep oil drilling and hybrid electric vehicles. This paper will discuss (a) the polymer synthesis, (b) the polymer conduction mechanism, and (c) provide temperature cycling for both solid polymer and organic electrolytes.

Battery safety has been a very important research area over the past decade. Commercially available lithium ion batteries employ low flash point (&lt;80 ...

Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques

Intercalation compounds such as transition metal oxides or phosphates are the most commonly used electrode materials in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. During insertion or removal of alkali metal ions, the redox states of transition metals in the compounds change and structural transformations such as phase transitions and/or lattice parameter increases or decreases occur. These behaviors in turn determine important characteristics of the batteries such as the potential profiles, rate capabilities, and cycle lives. The extremely bright and tunable x-rays produced by synchrotron radiation allow rapid acquisition of high-resolution data that provide information about these processes. Transformations in the bulk materials, such as phase transitions, can be directly observed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) gives information about the local electronic and geometric structures (e.g.&#160;changes in redox states and bond lengths). In situ experiments carried out on operating cells are particularly useful because they allow direct correlation between the electrochemical and structural properties of the materials. These experiments are time-consuming and can be challenging to design due to the reactivity and air-sensitivity of the alkali metal anodes used in the half-cell configurations, and/or the possibility of signal interference from other cell components and hardware. For these reasons, it is appropriate to carry out ex situ experiments (e.g.&#160;on electrodes harvested from partially charged or cycled cells) in some cases. Here, we present detailed protocols for the preparation of both ex situ and in situ samples for experiments involving synchrotron radiation and demonstrate how these experiments are done.

We describe the use of synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques to probe details of intercalation/deintercalation processes in electrode materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. Both in situ and ex situ experiments are used to understand structural behavior relevant to the operation of devices

Intercalation compounds such as transition metal oxides or phosphates are the most commonly used electrode materials in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. ...

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries

Li-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices and are considered as promising candidates for higher-energy applications such as electric vehicles.1,2 However, many challenges, such as energy density and battery lifetimes, need to be overcome before this particular battery technology can be widely implemented in such applications.3 This research is challenging, and we outline a method to address these challenges using in situ NPD to probe the crystal structure of electrodes undergoing electrochemical cycling (charge/discharge) in a battery. NPD data help determine the underlying structural mechanism responsible for a range of electrode properties, and this information can direct the development of better electrodes and batteries.
We briefly review six types of battery designs custom-made for NPD experiments and detail the method to construct the &#8216;roll-over&#8217; cell that we have successfully used on the high-intensity NPD instrument, WOMBAT, at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The design considerations and materials used for cell construction are discussed in conjunction with aspects of the actual in situ NPD experiment and initial directions are presented on how to analyze such complex in situ data.

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries

We describe the design and construction of an electrochemical cell for the examination of electrode materials using in situ neutron powder diffraction (NPD). We briefly comment on alternate in situ NPD cell designs and discuss methods for the analysis of the corresponding in situ NPD data produced using this cell.

Li-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices and are considered as promising candidates for higher-energy applications such as electric ...

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

A growing number of electrochemical technologies depend on fluid flow, and often that fluid is opaque. Measuring the flow of an opaque fluid is inherently more difficult than measuring the flow of a transparent fluid, since optical methods are not applicable. Ultrasound can be used to measure the velocity of an opaque fluid, not only at isolated points, but at hundreds or thousands of points arrayed along lines, with good temporal resolution. When applied to a liquid metal electrode, ultrasound velocimetry involves additional challenges: high temperature, chemical activity, and electrical conductivity. Here we describe the experimental apparatus and methods that overcome these challenges and allow the measurement of flow in a liquid metal electrode, as it conducts current, at operating temperature. Temperature is regulated within &#177;2 &#176;C using a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller that powers a custom-built furnace. Chemical activity is managed by choosing vessel materials carefully and enclosing the experimental setup in an argon-filled glovebox. Finally, unintended electrical paths are carefully prevented. An automated system logs control settings and experimental measurements, using hardware trigger signals to synchronize devices. This apparatus and these methods can produce measurements that are impossible with other techniques, and allow optimization and control of electrochemical technologies like liquid metal batteries.

Ultrasound velocimetry is used to study mixing by fluid flow in liquid metal electrodes. The focus of this manuscript is to illustrate the methods used for making precise, spatially-resolved ultrasound measurements while limiting oxidation and controlling and monitoring temperature, applied current, and the heater power being supplied.

A growing number of electrochemical technologies depend on fluid flow, and often that fluid is opaque. Measuring the flow of an opaque fluid is inherently ...

Non-aqueous Electrode Processing and Construction of Lithium-ion Coin Cells

Research into new and improved materials to be utilized in lithium-ion batteries (LIB) necessitates an experimental counterpart to any computational analysis. Testing of lithium-ion batteries in an academic setting has taken on several forms, but at the most basic level lies the coin cell construction. In traditional LIB electrode preparation, a multi-phase slurry composed of active material, binder, and conductive additive is cast out onto a substrate. An electrode disc can then be punched from the dried sheet and used in the construction of a coin cell for electrochemical evaluation. Utilization of the potential of the active material in a battery is critically dependent on the microstructure of the electrode, as an appropriate distribution of the primary components are crucial to ensuring optimal electrical conductivity, porosity, and tortuosity, such that electrochemical and transport interaction is optimized. Processing steps ranging from the combination of dry powder, wet mixing, and drying can all critically affect multi-phase interactions that influence the microstructure formation. Electrochemical probing necessitates the construction of electrodes and coin cells with the utmost care and precision. This paper aims at providing a step-by-step guide of non-aqueous electrode processing and coin cell construction for lithium-ion batteries within an academic setting and with emphasis on deciphering the influence of drying and calendaring.

Non-aqueous electrode processing is central to the construction of coin cells and the evaluation of new electrode chemistries for lithium-ion batteries. A step-by-step guide to the basic practices needed as an electrochemical engineer working with batteries in an academic experimental setting is furnished.

Research into new and improved materials to be utilized in lithium-ion batteries (LIB) necessitates an experimental counterpart to any computational ...

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, non-aqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of non-aqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting non-aqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we recently reported a non-aqueous flow battery based on a highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox material exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property, and therefore can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry. Moreover, we demonstrated that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC), as cross-validated by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. Herein we present a video protocol for the electrochemical evaluation and SOC diagnosis of the PTIO symmetric flow battery. With a detailed description, we experimentally demonstrated the route to achieve such purposes. This protocol aims to spark more interests and insights on the safety and reliability in the field of non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

We present the protocols for electrochemically evaluating a symmetric non-aqueous organic redox flow battery and for diagnosing its state of charge using FTIR.

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid ...

Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature

The chemical instability of the traditional electrolyte remains a safety issue in widely used energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries for use in devices operating at elevated temperatures require thermally stable and non-flammable electrolytes. Ionic liquids (ILs), which are non-flammable, non-volatile, thermally stable molten salts, are an ideal replacement for flammable and low boiling point organic solvent electrolytes currently used today. We herein describe the procedures to: 1) synthesize mono- and di-phosphonium ionic liquids paired with chloride or bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) anions; 2) measure the thermal properties and stability of these ionic liquids by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA); 3) measure the electrochemical properties of the ionic liquids by cyclic voltammetry (CV); 4) prepare electrolytes containing lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide; 5) measure the conductivity of the electrolytes as a function of temperature; 6) assemble a coin cell battery with two of the electrolytes along with a Li metal anode and LiCoO2 cathode; and 7) evaluate battery performance at 100 &#176;C. We additionally describe the challenges in execution as well as the insights gained from performing these experiments.

Here, we describe protocols to prepare phosphonium-based ionic liquid and lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide salt electrolytes, and assemble a non-flammable and high temperature functioning lithium-ion coin cell battery.

The chemical instability of the traditional electrolyte remains a safety issue in widely used energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries. Li-ion ...

Elemental-sensitive Detection of the Chemistry in Batteries through Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

Energy storage has become more and more a limiting factor of today's sustainable energy applications, including electric vehicles and green electric grid based on volatile solar and wind sources. The pressing demand of developing high-performance electrochemical energy storage solutions, i.e., batteries, relies on both fundamental understanding and practical developments from both the academy and industry. The formidable challenge of developing successful battery technology stems from the different requirements for different energy-storage applications. Energy density, power, stability, safety, and cost parameters all have to be balanced in batteries to meet the requirements of different applications. Therefore, multiple battery technologies based on different materials and mechanisms need to be developed and optimized. Incisive tools that could directly probe the chemical reactions in various battery materials are becoming critical to advance the field beyond its conventional trial-and-error approach. Here, we present detailed protocols for soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS), soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (sXES), and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) experiments, which are inherently elemental-sensitive probes of the transition-metal 3d and anion 2p states in battery compounds. We provide the details on the experimental techniques and demonstrations revealing the key chemical states in battery materials through these soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques.

Here, we present a protocol for typical experiments of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) with applications in battery material studies.

Energy storage has become more and more a limiting factor of today's sustainable energy applications, including electric vehicles and green electric grid ...

The Effect of Charging and Discharging Lithium Iron Phosphate-graphite Cells at Different Temperatures on Degradation

The effect of charging and discharging lithium iron phosphate-graphite cells at different temperatures on their degradation is evaluated systematically. The degradation of the cells is assessed by using 10 charging and discharging temperature permutations ranging from -20 &#176;C to 30 &#176;C. This allows an analysis of the effect of charge and discharge temperatures on aging, and their associations. A total of 100 charge/discharge cycles were carried out. Every 25 cycles a reference cycle was performed to assess the reversible and irreversible capacity degradation. A multi-factor analysis of variance was used, and the experimental results were fitted showing: i) a quadratic relationship between the rate of degradation and the temperature of charge, ii) a linear relationship with the temperature of discharge, and iii) a correlation between the temperature of charge and discharge. It was found that the temperature combination for charging at +30 &#176;C and discharging at -5 &#176;C led to the highest rate of degradation. On the other hand, the cycling in a temperature range from -20 &#176;C to 15 &#176;C (with various combinations of temperatures of charge and discharge), led to a much lower degradation. Additionally, when the temperature of charge is 15 &#176;C, it was found that the degradation rate is nondependent on the temperature of discharge.

This article describes the effect of dissimilar charging/discharging temperatures on the degradation of lithium iron phosphate-graphite pouch cells, aiming at simulating close to real case scenarios. In total, 10 temperature combinations are investigated in the range -20 to 30 &#176;C in order to analyze the impact of temperature on degradation.

The effect of charging and discharging lithium iron phosphate-graphite cells at different temperatures on their degradation is evaluated systematically. ...

Extending the Lifespan of Soluble Lead Flow Batteries with a Sodium Acetate Additive

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Construction and Testing of Coin Cells of Lithium Ion Batteries

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

Non-aqueous Electrode Processing and Construction of Lithium-ion Coin Cells

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery

Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature

Elemental-sensitive Detection of the Chemistry in Batteries through Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

The Effect of Charging and Discharging Lithium Iron Phosphate-graphite Cells at Different Temperatures on Degradation