%0 Journal Article
%A Kai-Yang Niu
%A Feng Lin
%A Liang Fang
%A Dennis Nordlund
%A Runzhe Tao
%A Tsu-Chien Weng
%A Marca M Doeff
%A Haimei Zheng
%B Chemistry of Materials
%D 2015
%G eng
%P 1583-1589
%R 10.1021/cm5041375
%T Structural and Chemical Evolution of Amorphous Nickel Iron Complex Hydroxide upon Lithiation/Delithiation
%V 27
%8 01/2015
%@ 0897-47561520-5002
%X <p>Development of novel electrode materials is essential to achieve high-performance lithium ion batteries. Here, we demonstrate that amorphous nickel iron complex hydroxides (Ni–Fe–OH) synthesized by a laser–chemical method can be used as a potential conversion anode material for lithium storage. Complementary characterizations, including ensemble-averaged X-ray absorption spectroscopy, spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope, were performed to reveal the chemical and structural evolutions of the active hydroxide particles undergoing electrochemical cycling. The solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer with a primary component of lithium fluoride (LiF) was found and remained robust on the particle surface during the charge/discharge processes, which suggests that the LiF-containing SEI layer plays a critical role in maintaining the stable capacity retention and good reversibility of the Ni–Fe–OH anode.</p>