Neutron Total Scattering Study of Lithium Metal Oxides for Lithium-ion Batteries

Binary transition metal oxides have been studied as anode electrode materials for Li-ion batteries for many years due to their much higher capacity when compared to conventional insertion materials, i.e. graphite. In contrast to insertion materials whose fundamentals are relatively well studied, the mechanisms for metal oxides are poorly understood. They react with Li via a complete structure deconstruction and reorganisation upon discharge and charge cycles leading to a complex system composed of amorphous phases with structural defects and disorders. This project will apply pair distribution function analysis via the neutron total scattering experiments to investigate the atomic structure (particularly concerning Li and O) of the conversion system. The obtained results will offer critical mechanistic insights of these materials and establish new strategies for performance optimisation.