Battery Materials and Diagnostics

recent highlights 2020
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Our first goal is to develop novel materials and to improve existing materials for Li/Na-ion batteries. We apply different synthetic routes, such as sol-gel chemistry, mechano-synthesis, solid-state synthesis under various controlled atmospheres, and microwave synthesis to control the morphology and to obtain the most promising electrochemical performances of the investigated systems. We have also the capability of realizing thin film growth of solid electrolyte, cathode and anode materials for applications e.g. in micro-batteries or to be used as model electrodes. The thin films growth are performed in our UHV cluster connected to the XPS spectrometer and equipped with RF sputtering, e-gun evaporators under various gas atmosphere.

Our second goal is to elucidate the electrochemical reaction mechanisms by applying post mortem or operando measurements by combining a wide range of techniques in-house or at big facilities dedicated to surface and bulk characterization. We have developed electrochemical cells for liquid-based and all-solid-state batteries for operando X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS in transmission, TEY and TFY modes), X-ray tomography, X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) etc. Many of our activities are supported by our industrial partners.

Figure 1

  • Scientist (Tenure Track) for next generation solid-state batteries

    Contact Mario El Kazzi mario.el-kazzi@psi.ch  

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  • Banov K, Khodeir M, Baster D, El Kazzi M, Novák P
    Impact of trace impurities in the electrolyte on the electrochemistry of positive electrodes for lithium-ion batteries
    Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2025; 172(8): 080515 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/adf672
    DORA PSI
  • Beall CE, Fabbri E, Falqueto JB, Siegrist S, Huang J, Hales N, et al.
    Composite bifunctional electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions
    ACS Materials Au. 2025; 5(5): 798-808. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c00034
    DORA PSI
  • Lelotte B, Vaz CAF, Xu L, Borca CN, Huthwelker T, Pelé V, et al.
    Spatio-chemical deconvolution of the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2/Li6PS5Cl interphase layer in all-solid-state batteries using combined X-ray spectroscopic methods
    ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2025; 17(9): 14645-14659. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c19857
    DORA PSI
  • Lelotte B, Siller V, Pelé V, Jordy C, Gubler L, El Kazzi M, et al.
    Toolkit for spectral and multivariate statistical analysis of XPEEM images for studying composite energy materials
    Surfaces and Interfaces. 2025; 73: 107490 (18 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107490
    DORA PSI
  • Nguyen HQ, Kanedal MD, Todt J, Jin F, Do Q, Zalka D, et al.
    Revealing the hidden polysulfides in solid-state Na-S batteries: how pressure and electrical transport control kinetic pathways
    Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2025; 147(27): 23492-23503. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c00465
    DORA PSI
  • Wullich RN, Lelotte B, Pelé V, Jordy C, Gubler L, El Kazzi M
    Optimized LiNbO3 sol-gel coatings for NCM622 in sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries: Insights into synthesis, uniformity, and electrochemical performance
    Electrochimica Acta. 2025; 536: 146750 (10 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2025.146750
    DORA PSI
  • Zhang Z, Sirim M, Baster D, El Kazzi M, Testino A, Gubler L
    Composite proton exchange membranes with interlayer structure containing functional catalyst particles for water electrolysis
    ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2025; 17(39): 54656-54667. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c08461
    DORA PSI
  • Zhang J, Wullich R, Xu L, Siller V, Schmidt TJ, El Kazzi M
    Impacts of key physical parameters on the cycling of thin metallic lithium in sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries
    Journal of Power Sources. 2025; 655: 237999 (16 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237999
    DORA PSI
  • Štefančič A, Vaz CAF, Baster D, Müller E, El Kazzi M
    Converting the CHF3 greenhouse gas into nanometer-thick LiF coating for high-voltage cathode Li-ion batteries materials
    ChemSusChem. 2025; 18(9): e202402057 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202402057
    DORA PSI
  • El Kazzi M
    Li-ion solvation in TFSI and FSI -based ionic liquid electrolytes probed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
    In: Barrett N, Martinez H, Tejeda A, eds. Journées nationales des spectroscopies de photoemission (JNSPE 2022). Vol. 273. EPJ web of conferences. EDP Sciences; 2022:01001 (4 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202227301001
    DORA PSI