Deciphering Transition Metal Diffusion in Anode Battery Materials: A Study on Nb Diffusion in NbxTi1-xO2
Journal article, 2025

Demand for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has escalated incredibly in the past few years. A conventional method to improve the performance is to chemically partly substitute the transition metal with another to increase its conductivity. In this study, we have chosen to investigate the lithium diffusion in doped anatase (TiO2) anodes for high-rate LIBs. Substitutional doping of TiO2 with the pentavalent Nb has previously been shown to increase the high-rate performances of this anode material dramatically. Despite the conventional belief, we explicitly show that Nb is mobile and diffusing at room temperature, and different diffusion mechanisms are discussed. Diffusing Nb in TiO2 has staggering implications concerning most chemically substituted LIBs and their performance. While the only mobile ion is typically asserted to be Li, this study clearly shows that the transition metals are also diffusing, together with the Li. This implies that a method that can hinder the diffusion of transition metals will increase the performance of our current LIBs even further.

diffusion

electrocatalysis

energy storage and conversion

transition metal

batteries

muon spin relaxation

TiO2

Author

Ola Kenji Forslund

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

Carmen Cavallo

University of Oslo

Johan Cedervall

Uppsala University

Jun Sugiyama

Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS)

Kazuki Ohishi

Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS)

Akihiro Koda

Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS)

Alessandro Latini

Sapienza University of Rome

Aleksandar Matic

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

Martin Mansson

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Yasmine Sassa

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

CARBON ENERGY

2637-9368 (eISSN)

Vol. In Press

Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)

Materials Chemistry

DOI

10.1002/cey2.70017

More information

Latest update

6/18/2025