Batteries play a critical role in modern society and will only increase in importance as electric vehicles and grid-scale storage applications continue to grow. Silicon is a material of great interest as an anode for future battery applications, as it offers the possibility of greatly increased battery capacities and reduced weights. This work investigates two methods in which silicon may find use in batteries. First, silicon was shown to be a viable anode in primary battery systems using carbon monofluoride as a high-energy cathode for extremely high-temperature environments such as deep mineshafts. The temperatures achieved in these studies were some of the highest ever observed for a functioning lithium battery. In addition, the fundamental surface chemistry of silicon as a rechargeable anode for safer lithium-ion batteries was also investigated. Organosilicon-based electrolytes offer much higher flash points than the current generation of electrolytes, but the surface chemistry of their solid-electrolyte interphase formation on the silicon anode surface remains relatively unexplored until now. Finally, this work also presents a method for creation and subsequent functionalization of graphitic nanopillars. These nanopillars may serve as a route to well-ordered graphene nanoplatelets of monodisperse size and controllable chemistry.

Model predictive control (MPC) is a method for controlling a process while satisfying a set of constraints. The use of MPC for controlling power systems has been gaining traction in recent years. This work presents the use of MPC for distributed renewable power generation in microgrids.

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy and power density are needed to meet the increasing demands of portable electronic devices, extended-range electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage. Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are attractive anode materials for next generation batteries because they have significantly higher capacities compared with current graphite anodes. One of the challenges Si and Ge face during battery cycling is high volume expansion upon lithiation, which can be accommodated by nanostructuring. LIBs made using Si and Si-Ge type II clathrates exhibited superior reversible cycling performance. This high capacity and stability is due to the type II phase purity of the samples which is a unique feature of the synthetic method used in this study. During cycling, the anode will react with the electrolyte, forming a passivating solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the surface, which is crucial to stable battery function. The formation of this layer is influenced by the surface chemistry of the active material. Ge NWs with different surface passivations exhibited different battery performance and rate capability. One strategy used to improve the performance of nanostructured Si, is the addition of a surface coating layer. Si nanowires coated with an SiO[subscript x] shell examined using in situ transmission electron microscopy during battery cycling showed reduced volume expansion, at the expense of complete lithiation. When the nanowire is delithiated, pores are observed to form in the amorphized Si due to the SiO[subscript x] shell, which prevents the migration of vacancies formed during delithiation to the nanowire surface. To increase the performance of the LIB, both the anode and cathode capacities must increase. Prelithiation of the Si anode was crucial to improve the capacity and stability of battery cycling for both lithium iron phosphate and sulfur cathodes, and the prelithiation process used strongly influenced battery performance. In a full cell with a sulfur cathode, no sulfides were observed in the Si SEI layer, due to the use of a carbon interlayer. Si-S batteries fully consumed the lithium nitrate electrolyte additive during cycling, resulting in high levels of electrolyte degradation that contaminated the anode and reduced battery stability

Silicon Anode Systems for Lithium-Ion Batteries is an introduction to silicon anodes as an alternative to traditional graphite-based anodes. The book provides a comprehensive overview including abundance, system voltage, and capacity. It provides key insights into the basic challenges faced by the materials system such as new configurations and concepts for overcoming the expansion and contraction related problems. This book has been written for the practitioner, researcher or developer of commercial technologies. - Provides a thorough explanation of the advantages, challenge, materials science, and commercial prospects of silicon and related anode materials for lithium-ion batteries - Provides insights into practical issues including processing and performance of advanced Si-based materials in battery-relevant materials systems - Discusses suppressants in electrolytes to minimize adverse effects of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and safety limitations associated with this technology

Electron microscopy has revolutionized our understanding the extraordinary intellectual demands required of the mi of materials by completing the processing-structure-prop croscopist in order to do the job properly: crystallography, erties links down to atomistic levels. It now is even possible diffraction, image contrast, inelastic scattering events, and to tailor the microstructure (and meso structure ) of materials spectroscopy. Remember, these used to be fields in them to achieve specific sets of properties; the extraordinary abili selves. Today, one has to understand the fundamentals ties of modem transmission electron microscopy-TEM of all of these areas before one can hope to tackle signifi instruments to provide almost all of the structural, phase, cant problems in materials science. TEM is a technique of and crystallographic data allow us to accomplish this feat. characterizing materials down to the atomic limits. It must Therefore, it is obvious that any curriculum in modem mate be used with care and attention, in many cases involving rials education must include suitable courses in electron mi teams of experts from different venues. The fundamentals croscopy. It is also essential that suitable texts be available are, of course, based in physics, so aspiring materials sci for the preparation of the students and researchers who must entists would be well advised to have prior exposure to, for carry out electron microscopy properly and quantitatively.

This invaluable book focuses on the mechanisms of formation of a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the electrode surfaces of lithium-ion batteries. The SEI film is due to electromechanical reduction of species present in the electrolyte. It is widely recognized that the presence of the film plays an essential role in the battery performance, and its very nature can determine an extended (or shorter) life for the battery. In spite of the numerous related research efforts, details on the stability of the SEI composition and its influence on the battery capacity are still controversial. This book carefully analyzes and discusses the most recent findings and advances on this topic.

Sodium-ion batteries are likely to be the next-generation power sources. They offer higher safety than lithium-ion batteries and, most important, sodium is available in unlimited abundance. The book covers the fundamental principles and applications of sodium-ion batteries and reports experimental work on the use of electrolytes and different electrode materials, such as silicon, carbon, conducting polymers, and Mn- and Sn-based materials. Also discussed are state-of-the-art, future prospects and challenges in sodium-ion battery technology. Keywords: Sodium-Ion Batteries, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Carbon Nanofibers, Conducting Polymers, Electrode Materials, Electrolytes, Graphene, Carbon Anodes, Magnetic Nanomaterials, Mn-based Materials, Sn-based Materials, Na-O2 Batteries, NASICON Electrodes, Organic Electrodes, Polyacetylene, Polyaniline, Polyphenylene, Redox Mediators, Reversible Capacity, Singlet Oxygen, Superoxide Stability.

This book provides the first complete and up-to-date summary of the state of the art in HAXPES and motivates readers to harness its powerful capabilities in their own research. The chapters are written by experts. They include historical work, modern instrumentation, theory and applications. This book spans from physics to chemistry and materials science and engineering. In consideration of the rapid development of the technique, several chapters include highlights illustrating future opportunities as well.

This thesis describes in-depth theoretical efforts to understand the reaction mechanism of graphite and lithium metal as anodes for next-generation rechargeable batteries. The first part deals with Na intercalation chemistry in graphite, whose understanding is crucial for utilizing graphite as an anode for Na-ion batteries. The author demonstrates that Na ion intercalation in graphite is thermodynamically unstable because of the unfavorable Na-graphene interaction. To address this issue, the inclusion of screening moieties, such as solvents, is suggested and proven to enable reversible Na-solvent cointercalation in graphite. Furthermore, the author provides the correlation between the intercalation behavior and the properties of solvents, suggesting a general strategy to tailor the electrochemical intercalation chemistry. The second part addresses the Li dendrite growth issue, which is preventing practical application of Li metal anodes. A continuum mechanics study considering various experimental conditions reveals the origins of irregular growth of Li metal. The findings provide crucial clues for developing effective counter strategies to control the Li metal growth, which will advance the application of high-energy-density Li metal anodes.