Coupling of electrochemically triggered thermal and mechanical effects to aggravate failure in a layered cathode

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04862-w
• Publication Date: 2018-06-18T10:37:14Z
• Authors: Pengfei Yan; Jianming Zheng; Tianwu Chen; Langli Luo; Yuyuan Jiang; Kuan Wang; Manling Sui; Ji-Guang Zhang; Sulin Zhang; Chongmin Wang
• Keywords: Science; Q; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy; Article; 0104 chemical sciences

Electrochemically driven functioning of a battery inevitably induces thermal and mechanical effects, which in turn couple with the electrochemical effect collectively govern performance battery. However, such coupling effect, whether favorable or detrimental, has never been explicitly elucidated. Here we use situ transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate effect. We discover that thermally perturbating delithiated LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 will trigger explosive nucleation propagation intragranular cracks lattice, providing us unique opportunity directly visualize cracking mechanism dynamics. reveal stress associated electrochemically induced phase inhomogeneity internal pressure resulting from oxygen release are primary driving forces for resembles "popcorn" fracture mechanism. The present work reveals that, performance, intricate electrochemical, thermal, effects surpass superposition individual effects.