Analysis of Composition and Valence States in Positive Electrode Materials (Fe-Substituted Li2MnO3) for Lithium Ion Batteries by Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy
AbstractAnalytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) was applied to investigate local variation of composition of transition metals in each particle of Fe-substituted Li2MnO3, which reveals high specific capacity and high voltage as a positive electrode. Crystal lattice images of primary particles were observed by means of high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), where local composition of Fe and Mn was determined by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). It was found that there exist both manganese (Mn)-rich and iron (Fe)-rich regions in a primary particle, where concentration of Fe and Mn fluctuates irregularly in nanometer scale. The relationship between composition and crystal structure in each local region is discussed.