scholarly journals Atomic-Scale Investigation of the Reversible alpha to omega-Phase Lithium Ion Charge – Discharge Characteristics of Electrodeposited Vanadium Pentoxide Nanobelts

Author(s):  
Haytham Hussein ◽  
Richard Beanland ◽  
Ana Sanchez ◽  
David Walker ◽  
Marc Walker ◽  
...  

Using an electrochemical potential pulse methodology in a mixed solvent system, electrochemical deposition of amorphous vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanobelts is possible. Crystallisation of the material is achieved using in air annealing with the temperature of crystallisation identified using in-situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The resulting alpha-phase V2O5 nanobelts have typical thicknesses of 10-20 nm, widths and lengths in the range 5-37 nm (mean 9 nm) and 15 - 221 nm (mean 134 nm), respectively. One-cycle reversibility studies for lithium intercalation (discharge) and de-intercalation (discharge) reveal a maximum specific capacity associated with three lithium ions incorporated per unit cell, indicative of omega-Li3V2O5 formation. Aberration corrected scanning TEM confirm the formation of omega-Li3V2O5 across the entirety of a nanobelt during discharge and also the reversible formation of the alpha-V2O5 phase upon full charge. Preliminary second cycle studies reveal reformation of the omega-Li3V2O5, accompanied with a morphological change in the nanobelt dimensions. Achieving alpha-V2O5 to omega-Li3V2O5 phase reversibility is extremely challenging given the large structural rearrangements required. This phenomenon has only been seen before in a very limited number of studies also employing nanosized V2O5 materials and never before with electrodeposited nanocrystals.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (23) ◽  
pp. eaay2792
Author(s):  
Jiangwei Wang ◽  
Zhi Zeng ◽  
Minru Wen ◽  
Qiannan Wang ◽  
Dengke Chen ◽  
...  

Nanomaterials often surprise us with unexpected phenomena. Here, we report a discovery of the anti-twinning deformation, previously thought impossible, in nanoscale body-centered cubic (BCC) tungsten crystals. By conducting in situ transmission electron microscopy nanomechanical testing, we observed the nucleation and growth of anti-twins in tungsten nanowires with diameters less than about 20 nm. During anti-twinning, a shear displacement of 1/3〈111〉 occurs on every successive {112} plane, in contrast to an opposite shear displacement of 1/6〈1¯1¯1¯〉 by ordinary twinning. This asymmetry in the atomic-scale shear pathway leads to a much higher resistance to anti-twinning than ordinary twinning. However, anti-twinning can become active in nanosized BCC crystals under ultrahigh stresses, due to the limited number of plastic shear carriers in small crystal volumes. Our finding of the anti-twinning phenomenon has implications for harnessing unconventional deformation mechanisms to achieve high mechanical preformation by nanomaterials.


Author(s):  
Shaojun Guo ◽  
yousaf Muhammad ◽  
Ufra Naseer ◽  
Yiju Li ◽  
Zeeshan Ali ◽  
...  

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of advanced electrode materials at the atomic scale during the electrochemical process is condemnatory to develop the high-performance rechargeable batteries. The complex electrochemical reactions involved inside...


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Iryna Zelenina ◽  
Igor Veremchuk ◽  
Yuri Grin ◽  
Paul Simon

Nano-scaled thermoelectric materials attract significant interest due to their improved physical properties as compared to bulk materials. Well-shaped nanoparticles such as nano-bars and nano-cubes were observed in the known thermoelectric material PbTe. Their extended two-dimensional nano-layer arrangements form directly in situ through electron-beam treatment in the transmission electron microscope. The experiments show the atomistic depletion mechanism of the initial crystal and the recrystallization of PbTe nanoparticles out of the microparticles due to the local atomic-scale transport via the gas phase beyond a threshold current density of the beam.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 578-586
Author(s):  
Lin-Kun Shi ◽  
Xiaobing Zhou ◽  
Jian-Qing Dai ◽  
Ke Chen ◽  
Zhengren Huang ◽  
...  

AbstractA nano-laminated Y3Si2C2 ceramic material was successfully synthesized via an in situ reaction between YH2 and SiC using spark plasma sintering technology. A MAX phase-like ternary layered structure of Y3Si2C2 was observed at the atomic-scale by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The lattice parameters calculated from both X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction patterns are in good agreement with the reported theoretical results. The nano-laminated fracture of kink boundaries, delamination, and slipping were observed at the tip of the Vickers indents. The elastic modulus and Vickers hardness of Y3Si2C2 ceramics (with 5.5 wt% Y2O3) sintered at 1500 °C were 156 and 6.4 GPa, respectively. The corresponding values of thermal and electrical conductivity were 13.7 W·m-1·K-1 and 6.3×105 S·m-1, respectively.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideto Yoshida ◽  
Seiji Takeda ◽  
Tetsuya Uchiyama ◽  
Hideo Kohno ◽  
Yoshikazu Homma

ABSTRACTNucleation and growth processes of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in iron catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have been observed by means of in-situ environmental transmission electron microscopy. Our atomic scale observations demonstrate that solid state iron carbide (Fe3C) nanoparticles act as catalyst for the CVD growth of CNTs. Iron carbide nanoparticles are structurally fluctuated in CVD condition. Growth of CNTs can be simply explained by bulk diffusion of carbon atoms since nanoparticles are carbide.


Nano Energy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 619-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Woods ◽  
Nabraj Bhattarai ◽  
Puskar Chapagain ◽  
Yuehai Yang ◽  
Suman Neupane

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