So I talked about the how...but why did I choose to go into science in the first place? Relocating to a new country isn't a small decision and not an easy one.
Since I was a kid, I was always captivated by crystals. Their shape, the colour and multiple varieties. I had a small collection going at one period of time. But it was only a passing fancy, one that I didn't think about again until the final year of university.
As I mentioned, I took a solid state chemistry course which introduced me not just the beautiful macroscopic properties of crystals, but the hidden atomic patterns which lay within and how #structure determines materials #properties.
I began studying a class of materials known as A-site deficient perovskites and used X-ray and neutron #diffraction to understand how the structure impacted the #lithium storage ability. Materials which can reversibly store lithium could be used in rechargeable Li-ion batteries!
A real highlight from these early days was seeing that yes, lithium does rapidly insert into this material creating a dramatic colour change. A simple thing but it really blew me away back then. I then had to understand how ions are transported through solid materials. ImageImage
I began to construct "batteries" (they were a bit...rough 😅) which enabled simultaneous diffraction experiments to study how the material changed during lithium insertion. (I am happy to say I am much better at designing these batteries now 😁) Image
The ability to watch how the atomic structure changed during the electrochemical process was fascinating to me. It was a kind of X-ray vision🙃. This was what set the stage for my persistent research theme of studying crystalline materials under change.
The deeper I went into studying how structure influences properties the more fascinating it became. It became clearer how one could modify and engineer new materials for actual applications.
Finally, the raw problem solving that one encounters in research is addictive. I lived for working through a challenging problem, deconstructing the components and putting everything back together again into a coherent story.
After four years of independent research and personally experiencing the joy of discovery, I couldn't just leave it behind. So I took the dive to come to Sweden to continue in research and actually learn a thing or two about batteries.

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More from @RealSci_Nano

23 Jun
The story of how @Altris_ab came to be and my involvement in PBA research is also a nice one. It was really a combination of the right people meeting at the right time and at the right place.
It began with Ronnie Mogensen, who was working on polymer electrolytes at the time and just needed a reliable positive electrode that was easy to make. He tried NaFePO4 which didn't always function. Then he turned to NaxFe[Fe(CN)6]. This always worked to a reasonable degree
He then stumbled upon a paper where the group of John Goodenough (Nobel laureate in chemistry for Li-ion #batteries) made rhombohedral Prussian white. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja…
Read 22 tweets
23 Jun
So how about Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) in batteries? In addition to @Altris_ab there are a number of other companies developing this class of compounds for energy storage applications. What makes them so attractive?
PBAs are commonly used as the positive electrode in beyond Li-ion batteries (sodium, potassium). They have an open structure leading to fast cation insertion. Additionally, due to the strong bonding of the cyanide ligand transition metals like iron have a decent voltage output. Image
Indeed, the performance metrics of PBAs, in particular the iron-based Na2Fe[Fe(CN)6], are quite similar to those of LiFePO4 (LFP). However, PBAs have the additional advantage of a simple and low cost synthesis making them very interesting to develop cheap sustainable batteries Image
Read 5 tweets
23 Jun
Now to talk about Prussian blue analogues! To begin I have to tell the story behind them because it is one of my favourite pieces of chemical history. It is a tale of alchemists, theologians, famous paintings and about 200 years of wondering what Prussian blue was.
It all began in Berlin in 1704 with an enterprising dye maker by the name of Heinrich Diesbach. He was most interested in producing a red dye by the name of Cochineal red lake. The ingredients were iron sulphate, potash and crushed up beetles #alchemy Image
But Diesbach was running low on potash. Enter the scene one Johann Conrad Dippel. Master theologian, physician, alchemist. Dippel was captured by the allure of alchemy and like any good alchemist began his attempts at transmuting gold. Image
Read 13 tweets
23 Jun
After our initial work on Li2MnO3, we discovered that there was a debate in the literature for a related compound. The more promising Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2. It is the Li and Mn rich analogue to the Li[NiMnCo]O2 oxides used in commercial batteries.
What was this debate? It was whether the material existed as a solid solution or if it was an intergrowth or mix of Li2MnO3 and Li[NiMnCo]O2. Ie, if the composition crystallised as one or two phases. Here is an excerpt highlighting the debate pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/cm… Image
And here is what the two proposed models are. In the multi-phase model the hexagonal ordering occurs exclusively for Li and Mn whereas in the single phase Li in the transition metal layer can also have Ni and Co as nearest neighbours. Image
Read 10 tweets
22 Jun
We just got back from a group lunch/farewell to @ashok_menon12. I will use this opportunity to talk a little bit about what Ashok has done during his PhD. Ashok has worked with what is known as Li and Mn-rich layered oxides.
The Li and Mn rich oxide materials are interesting as they have the potential to store a lot more energy compared to regular battery cathodes. Image
The reason is due to the excess lithium which sits in the transition metal layer. The presence of Li in this layer creates local Li-O-Li bonding environments allowing of anionic redox due to unhybridised O orbitals. Below I show the regular LiCoO2 (yellow) and Li2MnO3 (purple). ImageImage
Read 8 tweets
22 Jun
Ok lets take a look through the @StructuralChem1 lab! Development of new technologies begins with synthesis of new materials. This synthesis is carried out in many of the fumehoods that we have available ImageImageImage
For synthesis of many ceramic materials we share a number of high temperature furnaces with other groups. Including tube furnaces for synthesis under various inert or reactive gases. ImageImageImage
Additionally, a lot of synthetic work takes place inside our gloveboxes which are filled with Argon. Many chemicals we use for battery research (like Li metal) are air or moisture sensitive and so well maintained gloveboxes are a must! ImageImage
Read 12 tweets

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