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Journal of Advanced Ceramics 2023, 12(10): 1857-1871 https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220793
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 12 October 2023

Ultrafast high-temperature sintering of high-entropy oxides with refined microstructure and superior lithium-ion storage performance

Show Author's Information Yuhang Baia,b,c,  Jinrui Lia,  Hai Lua,  Jia Liua,  Cuiying Maa,  Bin Wangb( ),  Xing Zhaoa( ),  Jun Dengc
School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
School of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
Keywords:
microstructure, anode materials, Li-ion battery, high-entropy oxide (HEO), ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS)
Cite this article:
Bai Y, Li J, Lu H, et al. Ultrafast high-temperature sintering of high-entropy oxides with refined microstructure and superior lithium-ion storage performance. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2023, 12(10): 1857-1871. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220793
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) have received significant attention because of their tunable mechanical properties and wide range of functional applications. However, the conventional method used for sintering HEOs requires prolonged processing time, which results in excessive grain growth, thereby compromising their performance. Here, an ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) strategy was adopted, and rock-salt composite (Mg0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2)O was selected as model materials. Experimental parameters were tuned to illustrate the influence of applied current and soaking time on the densification process and resulting grain size. Additionally, the electrochemical performance of UHS-synthesized microparticles as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries was investigated. The results show that the ultrafast heating rate results in fine grains with a diameter of ~6–8 μm and density of 95%, which are much smaller and similar to those obtained using the conventional sintering method (25 μm and 96%). Moreover, the high surface area and reactivity of the microparticles, as well as their sluggish diffusion effect and structural stability, contribute to outstanding performance with high capacity (336 mA·h/g at 1 A/g) and ultralong cyclability (1000 cycles). This novel technique offers valuable insights into the densification process of HEOs and other materials and can thus broaden their application range.


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About this article

Ultrafast high-temperature sintering of high-entropy oxides with refined microstructure and superior lithium-ion storage performance

Show Author's information Yuhang Baia,b,c, Jinrui Lia, Hai Lua, Jia Liua, Cuiying Maa, Bin Wangb( ), Xing Zhaoa( ), Jun Dengc
School of Material Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
School of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China

Abstract

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) have received significant attention because of their tunable mechanical properties and wide range of functional applications. However, the conventional method used for sintering HEOs requires prolonged processing time, which results in excessive grain growth, thereby compromising their performance. Here, an ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) strategy was adopted, and rock-salt composite (Mg0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2)O was selected as model materials. Experimental parameters were tuned to illustrate the influence of applied current and soaking time on the densification process and resulting grain size. Additionally, the electrochemical performance of UHS-synthesized microparticles as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries was investigated. The results show that the ultrafast heating rate results in fine grains with a diameter of ~6–8 μm and density of 95%, which are much smaller and similar to those obtained using the conventional sintering method (25 μm and 96%). Moreover, the high surface area and reactivity of the microparticles, as well as their sluggish diffusion effect and structural stability, contribute to outstanding performance with high capacity (336 mA·h/g at 1 A/g) and ultralong cyclability (1000 cycles). This novel technique offers valuable insights into the densification process of HEOs and other materials and can thus broaden their application range.

Keywords: microstructure, anode materials, Li-ion battery, high-entropy oxide (HEO), ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS)

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Received: 16 May 2023
Revised: 30 July 2023
Accepted: 02 August 2023
Published: 12 October 2023
Issue date: October 2023

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© The Author(s) 2023.

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52202069 and 52102144), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2022MD713790), the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (Grant Nos. 2022JQ-389, 2022JQ-354, and 2022JM-255), the Postdoctoral Research Project of Shaanxi Province (Grant No. 2023BSHEDZZ315), and Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (Grant No. 21203123) is gratefully acknowledged.

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