Significance and Impact The study opens a new path to understanding the dynamic structure of composite materials for smaller lighter batteries Publication about this research MD Galluzzo WS Loo E Schaible C Zhu and NP Balsara ID: 1046872
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1. Scientific AchievementAt the Advanced Light Source (ALS), researchers found that when an ion-conducting polymer composite is placed in an electric field, it forms ion-rich hotspots that continue to grow for hours after the field is removed.Significance and ImpactThe study opens a new path to understanding the dynamic structure of composite materials for smaller, lighter batteries.Publication about this research: M.D. Galluzzo, W.S. Loo, E. Schaible, C. Zhu, and N.P. Balsara, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 12, 57421 (2020). Work was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Beamline 7.3.3. Operation of the ALS is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program.Probing Composite Materials to Make Better BatteriesResearch DetailsThe composite, a block copolymer electrolyte (polystyrene/polyethylene oxide), undergoes changes in nanostructure under dc polarization.Probed using spatially and temporally resolved small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS).Appearance of sponge-like “gyroid” phase reflected the formation of undesirable “concentration hotspots” where salt ions bumped up against a polystyrene wall.(a) 2D SAXS data. (b) 1D SAXS profiles of a gyroid peak at various times. (c) Plot of the gyroid peak height over time. Gyroid volume grows for several hours after field is turned off (dashed gray line).