研究人员破解锂离子电池中的原子级缺陷

As lithium-ion batteries have become a ubiquitous part of our lives through their use in consumer electronics, automobiles and electricity storage facilities, researchers have been working to improve their power, efficiency and longevity.
随着锂离子电池通过消费电子产品、汽车和电力存储设施的应用成为我们生活中无处不在的一部分，研究人员一直在努力提高其功率、效率和寿命。

As detailed in a paper published today in Nature Materials, scientists at the University of California, Irvine and Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted a detailed examination of high-nickel-content layered cathodes, considered to be components of promise in next-generation batteries. Super-resolution electron microscopy combined with deep machine learning enabled the UCI-led team to decipher minute changes at the interface of materials sandwiched together in lithium-ion batteries.
据今日发表在《自然-材料》上的一篇论文详述，加州大学欧文分校和布鲁克海文国家实验室的科学家对高镍含量层状阴极材料进行了细致研究，该材料被视为下一代电池中极具前景的组件。通过将超分辨率电子显微镜与深度机器学习相结合，由UCI主导的研究团队成功解析了锂离子电池夹层材料界面的微观变化。

"We are particularly interested in nickel, as it can help us transition away from cobalt as a cathode material," said co-author Huolin Xin, UCI professor of physics and astronomy. "Cobalt is toxic, so it's dangerous to mine and handle, and it's often extracted under socially repressive conditions in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo."
"我们对镍特别感兴趣，因为它可以帮助我们从钴过渡作为阴极材料，"合著者、UCI物理学和天文学教授Huolin Xin说。"钴是有毒的，所以开采和处理都很危险，而且它通常是在刚果民主共和国等社会压迫条件下提取的。"

But for the change to be fully realized, battery developers need to know what goes on inside the cells as they are repeatedly discharged and recharged. The high energy density of nickel-layered lithium-ion batteries has been found to cause rapid chemical and mechanical breakdown of LIBs' component materials.
但要让这一变化完全实现，电池开发者需要了解电池在反复充放电过程中内部发生的变化。研究发现，镍基锂离子电池的高能量密度会导致LIBs组件材料发生快速的化学和机械分解。

The team used a transmission electron microscope and atomistic simulations to learn how oxidation phase transitions impact battery materials, causing imperfections in an otherwise fairly uniform surface.
该团队使用透射电子显微镜和原子级模拟来研究氧化相变如何影响电池材料，导致原本相当均匀的表面出现缺陷。

"This project, which relied heavily on some of the world's most powerful microscopy technologies and advanced data science approaches, clears the way for the optimization of high-nickel-content lithium-ion batteries," Xin said. "Knowing how these batteries operate at the atomic scale will help engineers develop LIBs with vastly improved power and life cycles."
"该项目大量运用了全球最强大的显微技术和先进数据科学方法，为高镍锂离子电池的优化铺平了道路，"辛（音）表示。"了解这些电池在原子尺度的运作机制，将助力工程师开发出功率与循环寿命显著提升的锂离子电池。"

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the project relied on facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, and the UC Irvine Materials Research Institute. Paper co-authors included Chunyang Wang, UCI postdoctoral scholar in physics and astronomy; Tianjiao Lei, UCI postdoctoral scholar in materials science and engineering; and Kim Kisslinger and Xuelong Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory.
该项目由美国能源部资助，依托纽约州阿普顿布鲁克海文国家实验室和加州大学欧文分校材料研究所的设施。论文合著者包括：加州大学欧文分校物理与天文系博士后学者王春阳（Chunyang Wang）、材料科学与工程系博士后学者雷天骄（Tianjiao Lei），以及布鲁克海文国家实验室的Kim Kisslinger与王雪龙（Xuelong Wang）