Tuesday publication post! 📖 Transition metal oxides like manganese oxide spinels hold promise as next-gen cathode materials for multivalent-ion batteries, but structural changes during cycling can cause capacity fade and voltage loss. Using AXON Synchronicity and AXON Dose authors Danial Zangeneh, Bibash Sapkota, Ritesh Uppuluri, and Robert F. Klie uncovered real-time atomic dynamics behind this degradation.
What did they find?
📈 Controlled and monitored beam dose to capture delicate cation migration without damaging the material
🔬 Observed Mn migration from bulk to surface, forming a MnO secondary phase
⚛️ Revealed phase separation and TM-ion diffusion as the root cause of unwanted phase formation
By tracking degradation pathways at the atomic level, this approach provides the insight needed to design longer-lasting, high-capacity cathodes for the future of energy storage.
In the video below you can see beam-induced recrystallation which was imaged with #AXONSynchronicity.
Want to read the entire work? Find it here:
https://www.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c02880
