Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of olivine type battery cathode LiFePO4

• Main Author: Delone, Nicholas Ryan
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Raman spectroscopy; Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS); UV-Vis; AFM; SEM
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2010-08-1987

This thesis explores the use of Raman Spectroscopy to study the battery cathode material LiFePO4. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) was incorporated into the study due to fluorescence that traditionally plagues Raman. By imaging LiFePO4 nanoparticles, an understanding can be gained of the complex chemistry taking place when the material is lithiated and delithiated at the nanoscale level and the phase changes of the material that occur during this process. The use of bimetallic (Au/Ag) SERS substrates allowed for more stable substrates with longer shelf life compared single metal Ag substrates. Further tuning of these substrates can be applied to the ever evolving science of energy storage material technology as a way to track phase changes in the material. === text