Project Details
Projekt
NMR studies of activation energy distributions in solid ion conductors
Applicant
Professor Dr. Michael Vogel
Subject Area
Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 428906592
The improvement of devices for the storage and conversion of energy belongs to the most urgent current problems. In this field, solids enabling fast ion transport play key roles. The intensive search for such solid electrolytes involved various types of materials. For a development of solid electrolytes with further improved ion transport properties, it is, thus, crucial to understand the mechanisms for ion dynamics in materials with different structures. The concept of energy landscapes is very fruitful to achieve such insight. In the proposed project, a large variety of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods are combined to determine the energy landscape of various types of solid electrolytes and to investigate, on the one hand, its relation to the microscopic structure and, on the other hand, its effects on the ion motion on various time and length scales. Specifically, NMR relaxometry, spectroscopy, and diffusometry are combined to cover broad dynamical ranges. In doing so, we extend our well established 7Li NMR studies of solid lithium ion conductors to other nuclei like 1H and 23Na to meet the requirements for future developments in fuel-cell and sodium-battery technologies. Moreover, we relate our NMR analysis to other experimental and computational approaches in ELSICS. Most NMR investigations of the proposed project will focus on silicate glasses, utilizing the possibility to vary their structural heterogeneity. Specifically, in addition to lithium and sodium silicate glasses, the corresponding mixed alkali glasses will be considered. In addition, solid proton conductors will be studied, which are interesting fuel cell materials.
DFG Programme
Research Units
