Orientador: Ana Flávia Nogueira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T19:59:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Benedetti_JoaoEduardo_D.pdf: 8810025 bytes, checksum: 02324ef0185baef0d7794ea229fb5cda (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Este trabalho consistiu na preparação, caracterização e posterior aplicação de eletrólitos poliméricos gel em celulas solares de TiO2/corante. No Capítulo I, e apresentado uma introdução geral sobre células solares e eletrólitos poliméricos. O Capítulo II contém os objetivos deste trabalho. No Capítulo III, são preparados os eletrólitos polimérico gel utilizando a matriz polimérica de poli(oxido de etileno-co-2-(2-metoxietoxi) etil glicidil eter) (P(EO/EM)) contendo I2 e várias concentrações de g-butirolactona (GBL) e LiI. Esses eletrólitos foram caracterizados por medidas de calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC), ressonância magnética de Li (RMN), termogravimetria (TGA), difração de raios-X (DRX), condutividade e voltametria cíclica (VC). O eletrólito polimérico gel P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 apresentou excelentes propriedades químicas e eletroquímicas. Esses eletrólitos foram aplicados nas células solares de TiO2/corante, conforme e apresentado no Capítulo IV. As células solares foram caracterizadas por meio das curvas de corrente-potencial (J-V), estimativa do tempo de vida do eletron e espectroscopia de absorção transiente (TAS). De modo geral, os dispositivos montados com o eletrólito polimérico (P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 apresentaram um aumento da fotocorrente com a incorporação de GBL no eletrólito. Esse resultado e influência da maior difusão das especies redox no meio. Em contrapartida, o aumento da concentração de GBL no eletrólito também provocou uma acentuada perda no potencial de circuito aberto, o que foi relacionado ao aumento dos processos de recombinação na interfaces, contribuindo para a perda da eficiência das células solares. Para minimizar esses efeitos, no Capítulo V, e apresentada a caracterização por meio das curvas de corrente-potencial da célula solar de TiO2/corante montadas com o eletrólito P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 preparado com terc-butilpiridina e éter coroa. A incorporação desses aditivos proporcionou um aumento de Voc das células solares e, consequentemente, da eficiência dos dispositivos. O Capítulo VI apresenta os testes de estabilidade das células solares de TiO2/corante preparadas com o eletrólito polimérico gel, no qual apresentou estabilidade apropriada durante 30 dias de teste. O Capítulo VII contém as principais conclusões deste trabalho e perspectiva de continuação para esta linha de pesquisa / Abstract: This thesis consisted in the preparation, characterization and application of gel polymer electrolytes in dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells. A general introduction to solar cells and to polymer electrolytes will be presented in Chapter I. Chapter II describes the aims of this work. Chapter III deals with the preparation of gel polymer electrolytes based on the poly(ethylene oxide-co-2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl glycidyl ether) (P(EO/EM)) polymer matrix containing I2 and different concentrations of g-butyrolactone (GBL) and LiI. These electrolyte samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Li nuclear magnetic resonance (Li RMN), thermogravimetry (TGA), X-ray diffraction (RDX), conductivity measurements and cyclic voltammetry (VC). The gel polymer electrolyte P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 provided excellent chemical and electrochemical properties. The electrolytes were applied in dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells, as discussed in Chapter IV. Solar cells were characterized by current-voltage (IV) curves, electron lifetime measurements and transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS). Most of the solar cells based on the polymer electrolyte P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 presented an increase in photocurrent with the addition of GBL to the electrolyte composition. This result may be explained by the enhanced diffusion of redox species in the medium. However, a significant decrease in open-circuit voltage was observed after increasing the GBL concentration in the electrolyte composition. The decrease in open-circuit voltage was assigned to an increase in recombination losses taking place at the interfaces, which resulted in solar cells with lower performance. In order to minimize these drawbacks, dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells were assembled with the electrolyte P(EO/EM)/GBL/LiI/I2 containing 4-tert-butylpyridine and crown ether molecules. The addition of these additives provided an increase in Voc and, consequently, improved device performance. The characterization of these solar cells based on gel polymer electrolyte containing additives was carried out by means of current-voltage (I-V) curves, as discussed in Chapter V. Dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells based on gel polymer electrolyte were subjected to durability tests. Good durability results were achieved during a 30-day test, which are discussed in Chapter VI. Chapter VII deals with the main conclusions of this work and outlines some perspectives for the next steps of this research / Doutorado / Quimica Inorganica / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: Marco-Aurelio De Paoli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T22:57:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Freitas_JilianNeide_M.pdf: 8316699 bytes, checksum: 55e34d22b75f9c9b873f2edbf8cba703 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: Investigaram-se células solares de TiO2/corante e eletrólito polimérico visando a construção de um módulo de 9 V. O filme de TiO2 depositado sobre substratos de FTO (fIuorine tin oxide) em vidro foi obtido a partir da modificação de uma suspensão comercial do óxido coloidal em água. Para obter um filme com bom desempenho, utilizou-se uma suspensão com 0,45 g mL à qual foi adicionado 33 % (m/m) de polietilenoglicol com massa molar 20000. O eletrólito empregado nas células consistiu de Nal e I2 dissolvidos em poli(óxido de etileno-co-epicloridrina) contendo os co-monômeros na proporção 87:13, respectivamente. A condutividade iônica máxima desse sistema ocorreu para uma concentração de sal de 15 % (m/m) em relação à matriz polimérica; 2,7 x 10 S cm sob umidade < 1,0 ppm e ~ 30°C. Com o objetivo de aumentar a condutividade iônica, adicionou-se g-butirolactona como plastificante, mantendo-se a concentração de sal em relação à massa de polímero. Observou-se um aumento de cerca de uma ordem de grandeza na condutividade iônica e no coeficiente de difusão das espécies eletroativas no eletrólito plastificado. A suspensão de TiO2 e o eletrólito otimizados foram utilizados na preparação de células solares com área ativa de 1,0 e 4,5 cm. As células menores foram irradiadas com uma lâmpada de Xe. Sob 10 mW cm foram obtidas eficiências de conversão de energia de 2-3 %. As células com área ativa maior foram caracterizadas diretamente sob o Sol e apresentaram eficiência média de 0,9 % (às 12 h). Estes dispositivos foram usados na montagem de módulos de16 células conectadas em série, produzindo 9 V de potencial e 183 mW (valor integrado em um dia). Em conclusão este trabalho demonstrou que, é possível construir um módulo com células solares de TiO2/corante preparadas com eletrólito polimérico plastificado. O desempenho do módulo excedeu as expectativas, sendo a estabilidade o principal desafio para permitir a sua futura aplicação em escala comercial. / Abstract: TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cells assembled with polymer electrolyte were investigated aiming at the construction of a 9 V module. The TiO2 film deposited on substrates of FTO (fluorine tin oxide) on glass was obtained through the modification of a colloidal oxide suspension in water . To obtain a film with good performance, a suspension containing 0.45 g mL of TiO2 and 33 wt % of polyethyleneglycol with molar weight of 20000 was employed. The electrolyte consisted of Nal and I2 dissolved in poly(ethylene oxide-co-epichlorydrin) containing the monomers in the molar ratio 87:13. The maximum ionic conductivity for this system occurred for a concentration of salt of 15 wt % in relation to the polymer matrix; 2.7 x 10 S cm under relative humidity lower than 1.0 ppm and 30°C. To increase the ionic conductivity, g-butyrolactone was added to the electrolyte as a plasticizer, maintaining the salt concentration constant in relation to the polymer. The measured ionic conductivity and diffusion coefficient for the plasticized electrolyte were both increased by ca. one order of magnitude. Both, optimized TiO2 suspension and electrolyte, were applied in solar cells assembled with active area of 1.0 or 4.5 cm. The smaller cells were investigated under 10 mW cm irradiation, with a Xe lamp, and the efficiency of energy conversion was 23 %. The larger cells were characterized directly under the Sun with an average efficiency of 0.9 % (at 12:00 h). These were used to assemble a 9 V module by connecting in series 16 cells. The integrated average daily power was 183 mW. In summary, this work demonstrated that it is feasible to assemble a module with dyesensitized solar cells employing a plasticized polymer electrolyte. The performance of the modules exceeded all expectations and their stability is the main challenge to allow a future commercial scale application. / Mestrado / Quimica Inorganica / Mestre em Química

Os eletrólitos poliméricos formados com base de poli(óxido de etileno) POE e um sal alcalino, vem sendo motivo de grande interesse científico devido ao seu potencial de aplicações em dispositivos eletroquímicos. A condutividade iônica nestes sistemas resulta do fato que a macromolecula atua como solvente para o sal, deixando-o parcialmente dissociado. Neste trabalho, foi utilizada a técnica de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RMN) para caracterizar as dinâmicas do spin nuclear do 1H e do 7Li findando investigar os mecanismos de transporte iônico dos compósitos de eletrólitos poliméricos baseados no POE8:LiC104 e partículas de &3945; e &#947;-alumina. Foram feitas medidas da forma da linha de ressonância e da relaxação spin-rede nas frequências de 36 MHz (1H) e 155,4 MHz (7Li) em função da temperatura no intervalo de 170-350 K. Caracterizações fisicas das partículas foram realizadas através das medidas de tamanho de partícula, porosidade e área superficial. Nos compósitos foram feitas medidas de análise témica por DSC e de condutividade elétrica ac por impedância complexa. Os resultados de RMN do 1H mostraram uma maior mobilidade das cadeias poliméricas para o compósito preparado com a dispersão de 20% de &#945;-Al203 em massa, em relação ao eletrólito polimérico sem partículas. Nenhuma alteração foi observada nas medidas de largura de linha e relaxação spin-rede para os compósitos preparado com 5% de &#945; ou &#947;-alumina. A mobilidade dos íons Li+ apresenta um aumento quando é disperso 20% de &#945;-alumina no complexo polimérico. Em contrapartida, a adição de 20% de &#947;-alumina não altera os valores da taxa de relaxação (1/T1), porém um estreitamento da linha de ressonância em baixas temperaturas, em relação ao complexo polimérico, é observado. Os resultados serão discutido com base nas interações de ácido-base de Lewis / Polymeric electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and alkaline salts has been subject of scientific and technological interest due to its potential applications as solid electrolytes in electrochemical devices. The ionic conductivity of such electrolytes results from the fact that the macromolecule acts as a solvent for the salt, leaving it partially dissociated. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques were used to characterize the 1H and 7Li nuclear spin dynamics in order to investigate the transport properties associated to the ionic conduction mechanisms of polymeric composites based on PEO8:LiC1O4 and particles of &#945; and &#947;-alumina. NMR lineshapes and spin-lattice relaxation were measured at 36 MHz (1 H) and 155.4 MHz (7Li) as a function of temperature in the range of 170-350 K. Physical characterization of the particles was realized by measuring the particle size distribution, porosity and superficial area. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ac electric conductivity of the composites were measured. 1H NMR results show that the polymeric chains of the composite prepared with 20 wt.% of &#945;-alumina has a greater mobility if compared with the unfilled polymeric material. No changes in linewidth and relaxation rates were observed following the addition of 5 wt.% of &#945; or &#947;-alumina. The 7Li mobility increases when 20 wt.% of &3945;-alumina is added to the starting polymeric material. On the other hand, addition of 20 wt.% of &#947;-alumina do not alter the relaxation rates but produces a small change in linewidth. Results are discussed in accordance with the Lewis acid-base interaction

Orientador: Claudio Longo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T05:20:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_BrunoHondade_M.pdf: 1755012 bytes, checksum: c581e51105ddf9e770994460e5171e65 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: As células fotoeletroquímica de TiO2/corante, que convertem energia solar em elétrica, são constituídas por fotoeletrodo de TiO2 modificado com um corante, contra-eletrodo de Pt e um eletrólito contendo o par redox I/ I3. Neste trabalho, investigaram-se eletrólitos constituídos por NaI/I2 dissolvido em uma matriz polimérica de poli(óxido de etileno), PEO, contendo 10% (em massa) dos polifluoretos polivinilideno (PVdF) e polivinilideno hexafluoro-propileno, PVdF-HFP. Inicialmente, averiguou-se que um eletrólito constituído por 14% de NaI ( em relação à massa de PEO) em PEO/PVdF-HFP apresentou melhor desempenho em uma célula solar que um eletrólito similar em matriz PEO/PVdF. Determinou-se então, para eletrólitos de PEO/PVdF-HFP, a condutividade iônica em função da concentração de NaI para filmes depositados entre eletrodos bloqueantes de aço. O valor máximo de condutividade, 0,3 mScm, foi obtido para o eletrólito contendo mNaI/mPEO = 20%. Em uma célula simétrica, constituída por dois eletrodos de Pt, os voltamogramas cíclicos obtidos para este eletrólito apresentaram picos bem definidos, indicando a reversibilidade do par redox neste eletrólito. A adição de 10% (em massa) de PVdF-HFP proporciona característica amorfa à matriz polimérica, o que garante alta mobilidade iônica. As células solares preparadas com este eletrólito (área ativa de 0,5 cm) apresentaram, no 1° dia, valores médios de corrente de curto circuito de 3,9 mA cm e potencial de circuito aberto, VOC, de 0,6V e eficiência de conversão 1,1% sob irradiação de um simulador solar (120mWcm, 27°C). Através de medidas de espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica sob irradiação (no Voc, ± 10 mV), observou-se baixa resistência em série e estimou-se o coeficiente de difusão das espécies redox no sistema em D= 3.10 cms. As curvas corrente-potencial foram determinadas durante 30 dias consecutivos; sendo observada estável depois de 15 dias e uma diminuição de 60% de sua eficiência inicial / Abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cell convert solar energy in electricity, are made up nanoporous TiO2 electrode modified by a Ru-complex dye, Pt counter electrode and an electrolyte containing the redox couple I/ I3. This dissertation was to investigate electrolytes consisting of NaI/I2 dissolved in a polymer matrix of poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, containing 10% (by weight) of polyvinylidene polyvinylidene (PVDF) and polyvinylidene Hexafluorosilicic propylene, PVdF-HFP. Initially, it was found that electrolyte content 14% of NaI (mNaI/mPEO) in PEO / PVdF-HFP performed better on a solar cell array in a similar electrolyte PEO / PVdF. It was determined then to electrolyte PEO / PVdF-HFP, the ionic conductivity as a function of NaI concentration for films deposited between steel blocking electrodes. The maximum conductivity, 0.3 mScm, was obtained for he electrolyte containing mNaI / mPEO = 20%. In a symmetric cell, consisting of two Pt electrodes, the cyclic voltammograms obtained for this electrolyte showed well defined peaks, indicating the reversibility of the redox couple in electrolyte. The addition of 10% (in mass) of PVdF-HFP provides the characteristic amorphous polymer matrix, which ensures high ion mobility. Solar cells prepared with this electrolyte (active area 0.5 cm) presented on first day, mean values of short circuit current of 3.9 mA cm and open circuit potential, VOC of 0.6 V and conversion efficiency of 1.1% under irradiation of a solar simulator (120 mWcm, 27°C). Through measures electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under irradiation (in VOC, ± 10 mV), there was low resistance in series and estimated the diffusion coefficient of redox species in the system at D = 3.10 cms. The current-potential curves were determined for 30 consecutive days, being observed stable after 15 days and a decrease of 60% of its initial efficiency / Mestrado / Físico-Química / Mestre em Química

Orientador: Ana Flavia Nogueira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T14:27:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Freitas_FlavioSantos_M.pdf: 1335737 bytes, checksum: 43bb80b2fab0adc9d9092583a0f45e94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram investigados eletrólitos poliméricos baseados em poli(óxido de etileno-co-2-(2-metoxietoxi) etilglicidiléter) - P(EO-EM) com adição do oligômero dibenzoato de etileno-glicol (DIB)/LiI/I2 e poli(óxido de etileno-co-óxido de propileno) - P(EO-PO), com adição do líquido iônico iodeto de 1-metil-3- propilimidazólio (MPII)/I2 (com e sem a presença de LiI), visando a aplicação em células solares de TiO2/corante. Os eletrólitos foram caracterizados por Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial (DSC), Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier (FTIR), Ressonância Magnética Nuclear de Hidrogênio (H RMN) e Espectroscopia de Impedância Eletroquímica (EIE). Para o sistema P(EO-EM)/DIB, os estudos realizados por DSC e FTIR mostraram alta homogeneidade entre os componentes, com evidências de coordenação de sal no copolímero e no oligômero. Nas medidas de condutividade iônica, verificou-se saturação em ~10 S cm a partir de 10 % de LiI para todas as proporções de PEO-EM/DIB. Como conseqüência, a aplicação de eletrólitos com 20 % de LiI apresentou resultados bem similares, independente da proporção de DIB no sistema, indicando que os processos cinéticos relacionados ao transporte de carga são diferentes dos eletrólitos géis reportados na literatura, não sendo verificada mudança no potencial de circuito aberto (VOC) dos dispositivos. Para o sistema P(EO-PO)/MPII, as análises por DSC, FTIR e H RMN evidenciaram interações entre o oxigênio do copolímero e o hidrogênio do cátion imidazólio, possibilitando aumento na difusão do par I /I3 (estimado em 1,9x 10 cm s para o eletrólito com 70 % de MPII). A maior condutividade iônica foi obtida para o eletrólito com 70 % de MPII (2,4 x 10 S cm), possibilitando a montagem de células solares com eficiência de 5,66 %. Para todos os dispositivos, a presença de íons I3 promoveu aumento nas reações de recombinação, observando-se valores menores para o VOC com o aumento da concentração de MPII nos eletrólitos. Após a adição de LiI, não foram observadas melhores eficiências em comparação aos dispositivos montados sem a adição do sal. Esses resultados indicam que eletrólitos poliméricos baseados na combinação de polímero e líquido iônico consistem em sistemas promissores para aplicação em células solares. / Abstract: New polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide-co-2-(2- methoxyethoxy)ethylglycidylether) - P(EO-EM) with addition of the oligomer ethyleneglycol dibenzoate (DIB)/LiI/I2, and poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) - P(EO-PO) with addition of the ionic liquid 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium (MPII)/I2 (with and without LiI) were investigated in this work aiming at the application in dye-sensitized solar cells. The electrolytes were characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Ressonance (H NMR) and Complex Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). For the P(EO-EM)/DIB system, the DSC and FTIR measurements revealed a homogeneous mixture, with evidence of coordination of the salt with both the copolymer and the oligomer. The ionic conductivity measurements presented saturation in ~10 S cm for samples containing at least 10 % of LiI, for all P(EO-EM)/DIB concentration ratios. As consequence, the solar cells assembled with electrolytes containing 20 % of LiI presented similar performance, regardless of the DIB concentration, indicating that the kinetic processes related to the charge transport in these systems are different from those usually observed for gel electrolytes (which cause changes in the open circuit potential, VOC, of the devices). For the P(EO-PO)/MPII system, the DSC, FTIR and HNMR measurements revealed the presence of interactions between the oxygen atoms in the copolymer and the hydrogen atoms from the imidazolium cation, which increased the diffusion of the I/I3 redox couple (estimated to be 1,0 x 10 cm s for the electrolyte containing 70 % if MPII). The highest ionic conductivity was observed for the electrolyte containing 70 % of MPII (2,4 x 10 S cm), leading to the assembly of solar cells with 5,66 % of efficiency. In all the devices assembled, the presence of I3 ions leads to an increase of the recombination reactions, thus reducing the VOC values. This effect is more pronounced for higher concentrations of MPII in the electrolyte. After addition of LiI to these systems, no improvements in the device efficiency were observed. These results show that polymer electrolytes based on the mixture of polymer and ionic liquids are very promissing systems for application in solar cells. / Mestrado / Quimica Inorganica / Mestre em Química

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) among other fuel cells are considered the best candidate for commercialization of portable and transportation applications because of their high energy conversion and low pollutant emission. Recently, there has been significant interest in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), due to certain advantages such as simplified system and better tolerance to CO poisoning. Cost, durability and the reliability are delaying the commercialization of PEM fuel cell technology. Above all durability is the most critical issue and it influences the other two issues. The main objective of this work is to study the durability of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for HT-PEMFC. In this study the investigation of commercial MEAs was done by evaluating their performance through polarization studies on a single cell, including using pure hydrogen and hydrogen containing various concentrations of CO as fuel, and to study the performance of the MEAs at various operating temperatures. The durability of the MEAs was evaluated by carrying out long term studies with a fixed load, temperature cycling and open circuit voltage degradation. Among the parameters studied, significant loss in the performance of the MEAs was noted during temperature cycling. The effect of temperature cycling on the performance of the cell showed that the performance decreases with increasing no. of cycles. This could be due to leaching of acid from the cell or loss of electrochemically active surface area caused by Pt particle size growth. For example at 160°C, a performance loss of 3.5% was obtained after the first cycle, but after the fourth cycle a huge loss of 80.8% was obtained. The in-house MEAs with Pt-based binary catalysts as anodes were studied for CO tolerance, performance and durability. A comparison of polarization curves between commercial and in-house MEAs illustrated that commercial MEA gave better performance, obtaining 0.52 A/cm² at 0.5V and temperature of 160°C, with in-house giving 0.39A/cm² using same parameters as commercial. The CO tolerance of both commercial and in-house MEA was found to be similar. In order to increase the CO tolerance of the in-house MEAs, Pt based binary catalysts were employed as anodesand the performance was investigated In-house MEAs with Pt/C and Pt-based binary catalysts were compared and a better performance was observed for Pt/C than Pt-alloy catalysts with Pt-Co/C showing comparable performance. At 0.5 V the performance obtained was 0.39 A/cm2 for Pt/C, and 0.34A/cm²,0.28A/cm²,0.27A/cm² and 0.16A/cm² were obtained for Pt-Co/C, Pt-Fe/C, Pt-Cu/C and Pt-Ni respectively. When the binary catalysts were tested for CO tolerance, Pt-Co showed no significant loss in performance when hydrogen containing CO was used as anode fuel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed delamination between the electrodes and membrane of the tested and untested MEA's. Membrane thinning was noted and carbon corrosion was observed from the tested micro-porous layer between the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst layer (CL).

The primary objectives of this research are: (1) use a hierarchical structure to study electrode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and (2) understand the fundamentals and utility of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with the addition of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for battery applications. Understanding the fundamental principles of electrode and electrolyte materials allows for the development of high-performance LIBs. The contributions of this dissertation are described below. Encapsulated Si-VACNT Electrodes. Two hurdles prevent Si-based electrodes from mass production. First, bulk Si undergoes volume expansion up to 300%. Second, a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) forms between the interface of the electrolyte and electrode, which consumes battery capacity and creates more resistance at the interface. Si volume changes were overcome by depositing silicon on vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs). Encapsulating the entire Si-VACNT electrode surface with carbon was used to mitigate SEI formation. Although SEI formation was reduced by the encapsulation layer, capacity fade was still observed for encapsulated electrodes, indicating that SEI formation was not the primary factor affecting capacity fade. Additionally, the impact of the encapsulation layer on Li transport was examined. Two different transport directions and length scales were relevant””(1) radial transport of Li in/out of each Si-coated nanotube (~40 nm diameter) and (2) Li transport along the length of the nanotubes (~10 µm height). Experimental results indicated that the height of the Si-VACNT electrodes did not limit Li transport, even though that height was orders of magnitude greater than the diameter of the tubes. Simulation and experimental data indicated that time constant for Li diffusion into silicon was slow, even though the diffusion distance was short relative to the tube height. Other factors such as diffusion-induced stress likely had a significant impact on diffusion through the thin silicon layer. Solid Polymer Electrolytes. A thorough understanding of the relationships between physical, transport, and electrochemical properties was studied. HNT addition to polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolytes not only improved the physical properties, such as reduction of the crystallinity of PEO, but also enhanced transport properties like the salt diffusivity. The processing steps were important for achieving enhanced properties. Moreover, HNTs were found to stabilize the interfacial properties of the SPE films during cycling. Specifically, HNT-containing SPE films were successfully cycled at room temperature, which may have important implications for SPE-based batteries.

This work deals with the measurement of electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of gel polymer electrolyte containing Lithium ion and their preparation. The theoretical part deals with the development of gel polymer electrolyte, their use and methods of measurement of electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. In the experimental part describes the preparation of gel electrolyte, the measurement of electrical conductivity, temperature dependence and the measurement of mechanical properties.

In polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) chemical energy, in for example hydrogen, is converted by an electrochemical process into electrical energy. The PEFC has a working temperature generally below 100 °C. Under these conditions water management and transport of oxygen to the cathode are the parameters limiting the performance of the PEFC. The purpose of this thesis was to better understand the complex processes in different parts of the PEFC. The rate-limiting processes in the cathode were studied using pure oxygen while varying oxygen pressure and humidity. Mass-transport limitations in the gas diffusion layer using oxygen diluted in nitrogen or helium was also studied. A large capacitive loop was seen at 1-10 Hz with 5-20 % oxygen. When nitrogen was changed to helium, which has a higher binary diffusion coefficient, the loop decreased and shifted to a higher frequency. Steady-state and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) models have been developed that accounts for water transport in the membrane and the influence of water on the anode. Due to water drag, the membrane resistance changes with current density. This gives rise to a low frequency loop in the complex plane plot. The loop appeared at a frequency of around 0.1 Hz and varied with D/Lm2, where D is the water diffusion coefficient and Lm is the membrane thickness. The EIS model for the hydrogen electrode gave three to four semicircles in the complex plane plot when taking the influence of water concentration on the anode conductivity and kinetics into account. The high-frequency semicircle is attributed to the Volmer reaction, the medium-frequency semicircle to the pseudocapacitance resulting from the adsorbed hydrogen, and the low-frequency semicircles to variations in electrode performance with water concentration. These low-frequency semicircles appear in a frequency range overlapping with the low-frequency semicircles from the water transport in the membrane. The effects of current density and membrane thickness were studied experimentally. An expected shift in frequency, when varying the membrane thickness was seen. This shift confirms the theory that the low-frequency loop is connected to the water transport in the membrane. / <p>QC 20121011</p>

No description available.