Chapter 7
Application of Mössbauer Spectroscopy
to Li-Ion and Na-Ion Batteries
Pierre-Emmanuel Lippens
Abstract Electrochemical energy storage is essential in everyday life and is crucial
for energy transition requiring sustainable energy sources and clean transportation.
Li-ion batteries are widely used due to their high energy density while other technologies are now emerging, as Na-ion batteries, to offer a variety of energy storage
systems. The electrode materials are one of the key components that should be
improved for better battery performance. This requires the investigation of the electrochemical reactions that take place within the batteries. Mössbauer spectroscopy is
a powerful tool to probe the local environment at the atomic scale in electrode materials. This technique can be used for ex situ analyses or to follow in situ the electrochemical reactions. In this chapter, some general aspects of currently commercialized
Li-ion batteries are briefly described to introduce electrode materials, electrochemical mechanisms and their characterizations. The basic concepts of the Mössbauer
effect and hyperfine interactions are presented to define the Mössbauer parameters
that provide information about structural, electronic and magnetic properties, with a
special attention to in situ measurements. Then, some selected examples of insertion,
alloying and conversion materials are considered to illustrate the application of
57 Fe
and
119 Sn Mössbauer spectroscopies to elucidate reaction mechanisms in Li-ion and
Na-ion batteries.
7.1 Introduction
In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John B. Goodenough, M.
Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for their contributions to the development
of Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries are now used in a wide range of applications
from small electronic devices to large storage systems for sustainable and renewable
energy sources, including electric transportation [1–4]. This technology has already
changed the life of many people worldwide and is certainly a key element for energy
P.-E. Lippens (B)
Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon,
34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
e-mail: pierre-emmanuel.lippens@umontpellier.fr
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Yoshida and G. Langouche (eds.), Modern Mössbauer Spectroscopy,
Topics in Applied Physics 137, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9422-9_7
319
Application of Mössbauer Spectroscopy
to Li-Ion and Na-Ion Batteries
Pierre-Emmanuel Lippens
Abstract Electrochemical energy storage is essential in everyday life and is crucial
for energy transition requiring sustainable energy sources and clean transportation.
Li-ion batteries are widely used due to their high energy density while other technologies are now emerging, as Na-ion batteries, to offer a variety of energy storage
systems. The electrode materials are one of the key components that should be
improved for better battery performance. This requires the investigation of the electrochemical reactions that take place within the batteries. Mössbauer spectroscopy is
a powerful tool to probe the local environment at the atomic scale in electrode materials. This technique can be used for ex situ analyses or to follow in situ the electrochemical reactions. In this chapter, some general aspects of currently commercialized
Li-ion batteries are briefly described to introduce electrode materials, electrochemical mechanisms and their characterizations. The basic concepts of the Mössbauer
effect and hyperfine interactions are presented to define the Mössbauer parameters
that provide information about structural, electronic and magnetic properties, with a
special attention to in situ measurements. Then, some selected examples of insertion,
alloying and conversion materials are considered to illustrate the application of
57 Fe
and
119 Sn Mössbauer spectroscopies to elucidate reaction mechanisms in Li-ion and
Na-ion batteries.
7.1 Introduction
In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John B. Goodenough, M.
Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for their contributions to the development
of Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries are now used in a wide range of applications
from small electronic devices to large storage systems for sustainable and renewable
energy sources, including electric transportation [1–4]. This technology has already
changed the life of many people worldwide and is certainly a key element for energy
P.-E. Lippens (B)
Institut Charles Gerhardt, UMR 5253 CNRS Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon,
34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
e-mail: pierre-emmanuel.lippens@umontpellier.fr
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Yoshida and G. Langouche (eds.), Modern Mössbauer Spectroscopy,
Topics in Applied Physics 137, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9422-9_7
319