(712b) First-Principles Study on the Phase Transition and Fast Ionic Transport in Lithium Spinel Anode Material

With the growing interest in power sources for large applications such as an electric vehicle (EV), lithium-ion batteries are finding new opportunities in this emerging area. Intensive research efforts are focused on developing suitable electrode material, the key component of lithium-ion batteries, for these applications. The electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries for use in EV require high stability, energy, and power. In this talk, I will present the first-principles understanding on the reaction mechanism of fast-charging lithium titanate anode material[1]. We reconcile the apparent contradiction between the high-power capability of LTO and the poor lithium-ion conductivity of its end-member phases. This insight presents new opportunities in searching for high-rate electrode materials.

References
[1] W. Zhang,‡ Dong-Hwa Seo,‡ T. Chen,‡ L. Wu, M. Topsakal, Y. Zhu, D. Lu, G. Ceder,* F. Wang*, “Kinetic Pathways of Ionic Transport in Fast Charging Lithium Titanate”, Science, 367 (6481): 1030-1034 (2020)