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In this article, we present Near Ambient Pressure (NAP)-X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) results from model and commercial liquid electrolytes for lithium-ion battery production using an automated laboratory NAP-XPS system. The electrolyte solutions were (i) LiPF6 in EC/DMC (LP30) as a typical commercial battery electrolyte and (ii) LiTFSI in PC as a model electrolyte. We analyzed the LP30 electrolyte solution, first in its vapor and liquid phase to compare individual core-level spectra. In a second step, we immersed a V2O5 crystal as a model cathode material in this LiPF6 solution. Additionally, the LiTFSI electrolyte model system was studied to compare and verify our findings with previous NAP-XPS data. Photoelectron spectra recorded at pressures of 2–10 mbar show significant chemical differences for the different lithium-based electrolytes. We show the enormous potential of laboratory NAP-XPS instruments for investigations of solid-liquid interfaces in electrochemical energy storage systems at elevated pressures and illustrate the simplicity and ease of the used experimental setup (EnviroESCA).

LixCoO2and LixNiO2(0.5 < x< 1) are used as prototype cathode materials in lithium ion batteries. Both systems show degradation and fatigue when used as cathode material during electrochemical cycling. In order to analyze the change of the structure and the electronic structure of LixCoO2and LixNiO2as a function of Li content xin detail, we have performed X-ray diffraction studies, photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) investigations and band structure calculations for a series of compounds Lix(Co,Ni)O2(0 < x 1). The calculated density of states (DOS) are weighted by theoretical photoionization cross sections and compared with the DOS gained from the PES experiments. Consistently, the experimental and calculated DOS show a broadening of the Co/Ni 3d states upon lithium de-intercalation. The change of the shape of the experimental PES curves with decreasing lithium concentration can be interpreted from the calculated partial DOS as an increasing energetic overlap of the Co/Ni 3d and O 2p states and a change in the orbital overlap of Co/Ni and O wave functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work the electronic structure of V2O5, reduced V2O5−x (V16O39) and sodium intercalated NaV2O5 has been studied by both theoretical and experimental methods. Theoretical band structure calculations have been performed using density functional methods (DFT). We have investigated the electron density distribution of the valence states, the total density of states (total DOS) and the partial valence band density of states (PVBDOS). Experimentally, amorphous V2O5 thin films have been prepared by physical vapour deposition (PVD) on freshly cleaved highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrates at room temperature with an initial oxygen understoichiometry of about 4%, resulting in a net stoichiometry of V2O4.8. These films have been intercalated by sodium using vacuum deposition with subsequent spontaneous intercalation (NaV2O5) at room temperature. Resonant V3p–V3d photoelectron spectroscopy (ResPES) experiments have been performed to determine the PVBDOS focusing on the calculation of occupation numbers and the determination of effective oxidation state, reflecting ionicity and covalency of the V–O bonds. Using X-ray absorption near edge spectra (XANES) an attempt is made to visualize the changes in the unoccupied DOS due to sodium intercalation. For comparison measurements on nearly stoichiometric V2O5 single crystals have been performed. The experimental data for the freshly cleaved and only marginally reduced V2O5 single crystals and the NaV2O5 results are in good agreement with the calculated values. The ResPES results for V2O4.8 agree in principle with the calculations, but the trends in the change of the ionicity differ between experiment and theory. Experimentally we find partly occupied V 3d states above the oxygen 2p-like states and a band gap between these and the unoccupied states. In theory one finds this occupation scheme assuming oxygen vacancies in V2O5 and by performing a spin-polarized calculation of an antiferromagnetic ordered NaV2O5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]