Identification of the Mo₃S₄ intercalation system in lithium batteries made with natural MoS₂

• Main Author: Mulhern, Peter John
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Lithium cells; Molybdenite
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/23143

Investigations of the lithium/molybdenum disulfide intercalation battery showed that naturally occurring molybdenite, MoS₂, from the Endako mines had a type of capacity not found in synthetic MoS₂. The behaviour of this extra capacity was examined and attempts were made to find its source. Materials were synthesized that could indirectly produce the same electrochemical behaviour, and in-situ X-ray diffraction determined MO₃S₄ to be the crystal responsible for this capacity. The lithium/Mo₃Si, system was found to be an intercalation battery with an energy density of about 275 watt-hours per kilogram of cathode material. Over half of the capacity was at 2.09V in a first order phase transition which did not greatly alter the host lattice. Most of the remaining capacity was divided evenly between regions of continuous lattice expansion near 2.46V and 2.05V. === Science, Faculty of === Physics and Astronomy, Department of === Graduate