title: Lithium-ion battery electrolyte mobility at nano-confined graphene interfaces.
abstract: Interfaces are essential in electrochemical processes, providing a critical nanoscopic design feature for composite electrodes used in Li-ion batteries. Understanding the structure, wetting and mobility at nano-confined interfaces is important for improving the efficiency and lifetime of electrochemical devices. Here we use a Surface Forces Apparatus to quantify the initial wetting of nanometre-confined graphene, gold and mica surfaces by Li-ion battery electrolytes. Our results indicate preferential wetting of confined graphene in comparison with gold or mica surfaces because of specific interactions of the electrolyte with the graphene surface. In addition, wetting of a confined pore proceeds via a profoundly different mechanism compared with wetting of a macroscopic surface. We further reveal the existence of molecularly layered structures of the confined electrolyte. Nanoscopic confinement of less than 4-5 nm and the presence of water decrease the mobility of the electrolyte. These results suggest a lower limit for the pore diameter in nanostructured electrodes.
authors: Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors: Boaz
authors: B
authors: Moeremans
authors: Max-Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors: Hsiu-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Cheng
authors: Max-Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors: Qingyun
authors: Q
authors: Hu
authors: School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors: Hector F
authors: HF
authors: Garces
authors: School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors: Nitin P
authors: NP
authors: Padture
authors: Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.|IMEC, Division IMOMEC, BE-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors: Frank Uwe
authors: FU
authors: Renner
authors: Max-Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.|Institute for Physical Chemistry, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Valtiner