Operando soft X-Ray Absorption and Raman Spectroscopic Study on Magnesium Deposition By Using Ether-Based Electrolyte
Authors: Hattori Masashi , Yamamoto Kentaro , Mori Takuya , Orikasa Yuki , Nakanishi Koji , Tanida Hajime , Tamenori Yusuke , Shimoda Keiji , Mori Masahiro , Koyama Yukinori , Uchimoto Yoshiharu 
Published: February 2020

Magnesium rechargeable battery, which uses magnesium metal anode, is one of the candidates for the next generation batteries. The magnesium metal anode has a high theoretical volumetric capacity (3832 mAh/cm3), and relative low reduction potential (-2.356 V vs. standard hydrogen potential). However, conventional electrolytes consisting of inorganic salts and ester solvents, as widely used in lithium ion batteries, do not occur reversible deposition/dissolution of magnesium metal. This is because a passivation layer is formed at the magnesium metal anode surface that blocks both magnesium ions and electron transport. The limitation of available electrolytes prevents the magnesium battery from being used in a practical application.
Recently, it has been reported that reversible magnesium deposition/dissolution reactions can occur in inorganic magnesium salts dissolved in glyme-based solvents electrolytes 2, 3. However, the reaction mechanism of magnesium metal anode has not been clearly understood. To clarify the reaction mechanism, it is necessary to investigate the interfacial structure of magnesium ion at anode/electrolyte interface. In this study, we investigated the bulk structure of the glyme-based electrolyte using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the theoretical calculation. Furthermore, we observed the electronic and local structure of the electrolyte at the interface during magnesium deposition using operando soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy.
0.5 M Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme and 0.5 M Mg(TFSA)2/2-MeTHF electrolytes were prepared by stirring Mg(TFSA)2 with triglyme or 2-MeTHF in an Ar-filled glove box. Raman spectroscopic measurements were carried out using LabRAM HR-800 equipped with He-Ne laser (633 nm) at room temperature. operando XAS measurements at Mg K-edge were conducted at the beam line BL27SU at SPring-8 (Japan). XAS spectra were obtained at different potential during magnesium deposition.
Magnesium deposition/dissolution occurred in Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme as observed in previous report3. In contrast to Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme, magnesium metal deposition did not observe in Mg(TFSA)2/2-MeTHF.
Raman spectroscopy showed that TFSA anion exists as uncoordinated state with magnesium ion in the Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme, while TFSA anion strongly coordinates with magnesium ion in the 2-MeTHF-based electrolyte. operando Mg K-edge XAS observed that the local structure attributed to first coordination shell changed more smaller with decreasing potential in the Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme than in the Mg(TFSA)2/2-MeTHF at anode/electrolyte interface. In the Mg(TFSA)2/triglyme, the solvation structure of magnesium ion without coordination of TFSA anion, may suppress its local structure change during approaching the anode/electrolyte interface, resulting in the reversible magnesium deposition/dissolution.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was partially supported by Synchrotron radiation experiment was performed at BL27SU of SPring-8 with the approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI).

REFERENCES

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