In the previous paper Ralph Brodd and Martin Winter described the different kinds of batteries and fuel cells. In this paper I will describe lithium batteries in more detail, building an overall foundation for the papers that follow which describe specific components in some depth and usually with an emphasis on the materials behavior. The lithium battery industry is undergoing rapid expansion, now representing the largest segment of the portable battery industry and dominating the computer, cell phone, and camera power source industry. However, the present secondary batteries use expensive components, which are not in sufficient supply to allow the industry to grow at the same rate in the next decade. Moreover, the safety of the system is questionable for the large-scale batteries needed for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Another battery need is for a high-power system that can be used for power tools, where only the environmentally hazardous Ni/ Cd battery presently meets the requirements. A battery is a transducer that converts chemical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. It contains an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The anode, in the case of a lithium battery, is the source of lithium ions. The cathode is the sink for the lithium ions and is chosen to optimize a number of parameters, discussed below. The electrolyte provides for the separation of ionic transport and electronic transport, and in a perfect battery the lithium ion transport number will be unity in the electrolyte. The cell potential is determined by the difference between the chemical potential of the lithium in the anode and cathode, ∆G ) -EF. As noted above, the lithium ions flow through the electrolyte whereas the electrons generated from the reaction, Li ) Li+ + e-, go through the external circuit to do work. Thus, the electrode system must allow for the flow of both lithium ions and electrons. That is, it must be both a good ionic conductor and an electronic conductor. As discussed below, many electrochemically active materials are not good electronic conductors, so it is necessary to add an electronically conductive material such as carbon * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone and fax: (607) 777-4623. E-mail: stanwhit@binghamton.edu. 4271 Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 4271−4301

http://www.chemie.uni-regensburg.de/Anorganische_Chemie/Vortrag/StudentenWS06-07/Vortrag_Amereller.pdf

Lithium Batteries and Cathode Materials

Sol-gel chemistry of transition metal oxides

Color Control in π-Conjugated Organic Polymers for Use in Electrochromic Devices

Transparent conductors as solar energy materials: A panoramic review

Electrochromic (EC) materials are able to change their optical properties, reversibly and persistently, by the application of an electrical voltage. These materials can be integrated in multilayer devices capable of modulating the optical transmittance between widely separated extrema. We first review the recent literature on inorganic EC materials and point out that today's research is focused on tungsten oxide (colouring under charge insertion) and nickel oxide (colouring under charge extraction). The properties of thin films of these materials are then discussed in detail with foci on recent results from two comprehensive investigations in the authors' laboratory. A logical exposition is obtained by covering, in sequence, structural features, thin film deposition (by sputtering), electronic band structure, and ion diffusion. A novel conceptual model is given for structural characteristics of amorphous W oxide films, based on notions of defects in the ideal amorphous state. It is also shown that the conduction band density of states is obtainable from simple electrochemical chronopotentiometry. Ion intercalation causes the charge-compensating electrons to enter localized states, implying that the optical absorption underlying the electrochromism can be described as ensuing from transitions between occupied and empty localized conduction band states. A fully quantitative theory of such transitions is not available, but the optical absorption can be modeled more phenomenologically as due to a superposition of transitions between different charge states of the W ions (6+, 5+, and 4+). The Ni oxide films were found to have a porous structure comprised of small grains. The data are consistent with EC coloration being a surface phenomenon, most likely confined to the outer parts of the grains. Initial electrochemical cycling was found to transform hydrated Ni oxide into hydroxide and oxy-hydroxide phases on the grain surfaces. Electrochromism in thus stabilized films is consistent with reversible changes between Ni hydroxide and oxy-hydroxide, in accordance with the Bode reaction scheme. An extension of this model is put forward to account for changes of NiO to Ni2O3. It was demonstrated that electrochromism is associated solely with proton transfer. Data on chemical diffusion coefficients are interpreted for polycrystalline W oxide and Ni oxide in terms of the lattice gas model with interaction. The later part of this review is of a more technological and applications oriented character and is based on the fact that EC devices with large optical modulation can be accomplished essentially by connecting W-oxide-based and Ni-oxide-based films through a layer serving as a pure ion conductor. Specifically, we treat methods to enhance the bleached-state transmittance by mixing the Ni oxide with other oxides characterized by wide band gaps, and we also discuss pre-assembly charge insertion and extraction by facile gas treatments of the films, as well as practical device manufacturing and device testing. Here the emphasis is on novel flexible polyester-foil-based devices. The final part deals with applications with emphasis on architectural “smart” windows capable of achieving improved indoor comfort jointly with significant energy savings due to lowered demands for space cooling. Eyewear applications are touched upon as well.

/pdf/electrochromics-for-smart-windows-thin-films-of-tungsten-aw0rai8h60.pdf

Electrochromics for smart windows: thin films of tungsten oxide and nickel oxide, and devices based on these

Layered structure of vanadium pentoxide gels

Vanadium pentoxide gels:: II. Structural study by x-ray diffraction

Glass–ceramic nuclear waste forms obtained from SiO2–Al2O3–CaO–ZrO2–TiO2 glasses containing lanthanides (Ce, Nd, Eu, Gd, Yb) and actinides (Th): study of internal crystallization

Instead of the usual sputtered anhydrous tungsten oxide thin films, a powder of monohydrated tungsten oxide (WO3.H2O) was used for the making of an electrochromic infrared emissivity modulator. The WO3.H2O powder was embedded in a porous plastic matrix before being laminated with other appropriate layers of the battery-like device, leading then to a complete flexible emissivity modulator. The widely open structure of the hydrated tungsten oxide makes lithium intercalation easier, which is particularly suitable for the realization of plasticized devices. Compared to a classical battery assembly, a porous plastic graphite layer laminated with a conductive grid was sandwiched between the WO3.H2O and the electrolyte layers. Such an original device allowed both a perfect uniformity in current collection and a sufficient porosity for the liquid electrolyte displacement. The complete device demonstrated a satisfying electrochemical behavior under 1 mV/s potential sweeps, allowing the insertion of a large amount of lithium ions into the WO3.H2O structure. Hemispherical reflectance measurements were carried out both over the VIS/NIR (0.4–2.5 μm) and the mid-infrared (2.5–25 μm) spectral ranges. Reflectance over the 2.5–25 μm spectral range was found to switch from 2% to 32% upon intercalation of 0.65 Li per tungsten. This value is comparable to previous literature results obtained for rigid devices.

N. Baffier

Papers

Layered structure of vanadium pentoxide gels

Vanadium pentoxide gels:: II. Structural study by x-ray diffraction

Glass–ceramic nuclear waste forms obtained from SiO2–Al2O3–CaO–ZrO2–TiO2 glasses containing lanthanides (Ce, Nd, Eu, Gd, Yb) and actinides (Th): study of internal crystallization

Flexible electrochromic reflectance device based on tungsten oxide for infrared emissivity control

The structure of low temperature crystallized LiCoO2