Related papers: Quantifying microstructure features for high perfo…
Solid-oxide fuel cells produce electric current from energy released by a spontaneous electrochemical reaction. The efficiency of these devices depends crucially on the microstructure of their electrodes and, in particular, on the…
Battery interfaces critically influence lithium-metal battery performance through their role in ion diffusion and dendrite formation. However, structural characterization of these interfaces has remained challenging due to limitations in…
We have investigated the electronic structure of nano-sized iron oxide by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) as well as by photoelectron spectroscopy. Nano particles were produced by thermal treatment of Ferritin…
Insight in the structure of nanoparticle assemblies up to a single particle level is key to understand the collective properties of these assemblies, which critically depend on the individual particle positions and orientations. However,…
Solid oxide fuel cells are efficient energy conversion devices essential to clean energy development, yet their broad application is limited by material challenges, including sluggish oxygen reduction kinetics at intermediate temperatures,…
FIB/SEM tomography represents an indispensable tool for the characterization of three-dimensional nanostructures in battery research and many other fields. However, contrast and 3D classification/reconstruction problems occur in many cases,…
The simulations of the solidification of ternary Al-Cu-Ni alloys by means of a general multi-phase-field model for an arbitrary number of phases reveal that the real microstructure can be generated by coupling the real thermodynamic…
In this work we studied the influence of particle size and agglomeration in the performance of solid oxide fuel cell cathodes made with nanoparticles of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3. We followed two synthesis routes based on the Liquid Mix method. In…
Crystal surfaces are sensitive to the surrounding environment, where atoms left with broken bonds reconstruct to minimize surface energy. In many cases, the surface can exhibit chemical properties unique from the bulk. These differences are…
In an effort to extend the reach of current ab initio calculations to simulations requiring millions of configurations for complex systems such as heterostructures, we have parameterized the third-generation Charge Optimized Many-Body…
Fast-cooling after sintering or annealing of BiFeO3-BaTiO3 mixed oxide ceramics yields core-shell structures that give excellent functional properties, but their precise phase assemblage and nanostructure remains an open question. By…
The structure and microstrucutre of fully-strained BiCrO3 thin films have been investigated by X-rays diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, at room temperature. Interestingly, three structural variants are simultaneously…
Predicting the microstructure during selective laser sintering (SLS) is of great interests, which can compliment the current time and cost expensive trial-and-error principle with an efficient computational design tool. However, it still…
Ba(Fe$_{1/2}$Nb$_{1/2}$)O$_3$ (BFN) ceramics are considered to be promising for technological applications owing to their high dielectric constant over a wide range of temperatures. However, there exists considerable discrepancy over the…
X-ray diffraction experiments were performed on polycrystalline and single-crystal specimens of Ce$_{2}$Fe$_{17}$ at temperatures between 10 K and 300 K. Below $T_{\mathrm{t}}$ = 118$\pm$2 K, additional weak superstructure reflections were…
Understanding the microstuctural evolution during the sintering process is of high relevance as it is a key part in many industrial manufacturing processes. Simulations are one avenue to achieve this understanding, especially field-resolved…
All-solid-state batteries hold great promise for electric vehicle applications due to their enhanced safety and higher energy density. However, further performance optimization requires a deeper understanding of their degradation…
We demonstrate spatial modification of the optical properties of thin-film metal oxides, zinc oxide and vanadium dioxide as representatives, using a commercial focused ion beam (FIB) system. Using a Ga+ FIB and thermal annealing, we…
The fabrication of micro- and nano-scale silicon electronic devices requires precision lithography and controlled processing to ensure that the electronic properties of the device are optimized. Importantly, the Si-SiO2 interface plays a…
Interdiffusion between the yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and the gadolinia doped ceria (CGO) barrier layer is one of the major causes to the degradation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). We present in this work experimental…