Browsing by Author "Tsai, Tsung-Chun"

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Dynamic observation of reversible lithium storage phenomena in hybrid supercapacitor devices
(2017-11-01)
Huang, Guan-Min
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Tsai, Tsung-Chun
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Kumar, Nagesh
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Tseng, Tseung-Yuen
Carbonaceous composites have attracted much attention as electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors. Additionally, transition metal oxides, such as Co3O4, have high specific capacitance in the charging/discharging process. Here, we investigated the lithium storage mechanism of Co3O4/CNTs material via in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, we analyzed the structure and composition of the anode material by high-resolution TEM, electron diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Using our unique in situ experimental setup that employs colloidal electrolyte, we elucidate two different mechanisms during operation, including the electrochemical reaction (battery-type) and ions intercalation (supercapacitor-type) of the electrode material. The cube-like Co3O4 nanoparticles were converted to Co nanograins dispersed in the Li2O matrix after the first charging cycle. Subsequent cycles presented a reversible reaction between Co/Li2O and CoO/Li2O. Furthermore, the porous structure of the CNTs and conservation of the Li2O matrix allow for the excellent ability to accommodate tremendous volume expansion, which enhances the life of hybrid supercapacitors. Our observations not only provide direct evidence of the electrochemical behavior but also improve the structure to promote enhanced performance for the application of hybrid supercapacitors.
In Situ TEM Investigation of the Electrochemical Behavior in CNTs/MnO2-Based Energy Storage Devices
(2017-09-19)
Tsai, Tsung-Chun
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Huang, Guan-Min
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Chen, Jui-Yuan
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Yang, Chih-Chieh
Transition metal oxides have attracted much interest owing to their ability to provide high power density in lithium batteries; therefore, it is important to understand the electrochemical behavior and mechanism of lithiation-delithiation processes. In this study, we successfully and directly observed the structural evolution of CNTs/MnO2 during the lithiation process using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). CNTs/MnO2 were selected due to their high surface area and capacitance effect, and the lithiation mechanism of the CNT wall expansion was systematically analyzed. Interestingly, the wall spacings of CNTs/MnO2 and CNTs were obviously expanded by 10.92% and 2.59%, respectively. The MnO2 layer caused structural defects on the CNTs surface that could allow penetration of Li+ and Mn4+ through the tube wall and hence improve the ionic transportation speed. This study provided direct evidence for understanding the role of CNTs/MnO2 in the lithiation process used in lithium ion batteries and also offers potential benefits for applications and development of supercapacitors.
Observing phase transformation in CVD-grown MoS2 via atomic resolution TEM
(2018-09-14)
Tai, Kuo-Lun
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Huang, Guan-Min
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Tsai, Tsung-Chun
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Lee, Shih-Kuang
We utilized in situ transmission electron microscopy to observe phase transformation in CVD-grown MoS2. Significantly, the reaction was performed under electron irradiation through appropriate control of the electron dose and exposure time. Moreover, we proposed a new route between the 2H and 1T phases that involved the higher energy states TS1/TS2.
Observing Solid-State Formation of Oriented Porous Functional Oxide Nanowire Heterostructures by in Situ TEM
(2018-09-01)
Ho, Jo-Hsuan
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Ting, Yi-Hsin
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Chen, Jui-Yuan
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Tsai, Tsung-Chun
Transition metal oxide nanowires have attracted extensive attention because of their physical characteristics. Among them, ZnO nanowires have great potential. Due to the multifunctional properties of ZnO, devices built using ZnO-based heterostructures always perform well. In this study, interesting diffusion behavior between ZnO nanowires and Fe metal was observed by using in situ transmission electron microscopy. ZnO nanowires and Fe metal were annealed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions at 800 K. By controlling the annealing time for the solid-state diffusion, porous Fe3O4 and unique ZnO/porous Fe3O4 nanowire heterostructures were formed. As-formed porous Fe3O4 nanowires with voids can be divided into two types by appearance: plate-like voids and zigzag-like hollow voids. From high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and fast Fourier transform (FFT) diffraction patterns, we found that plate-like voids formed along the {111} plane, which was the close-packed plane of Fe3O4, and that zigzag-like hollow voids formed along the {111}/{022} planes. Moreover, a transition region existed during diffusion, with a parallel relationship found between the Fe3O4 crystal with plate-like voids and the ZnO crystal. A sharp interface was determined to exist between the Fe3O4 crystal with zigzag-like hollow voids and ZnO. These oriented porous Fe3O4/ZnO axial nanowire heterostructures exhibited a unique appearance and interesting formation behavior. Furthermore, the structures had a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, which is promising for sensing applications.
Unique amorphization-mediated growth to form heterostructured silicide nanowires by solid-state reactions
(2019-05-05)
Lin, Wan-Jhen
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Lin, Ting-Yi
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Ting, Yi-Hsin
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Tsai, Tsung-Chun
Transition metal silicide nanowires exhibit low resistivity, great thermal stability and excellent mechanical strength, contributing to their applications as interconnection and contact materials for future integrated circuits devices. In this work, we successfully fabricated two kinds of chromium silicide/silicon heterostructure nanowires through solid state reactions - bare Si/Cr3Si nanowires and Si/Cr5Si3-Al2O3 core-shell nanowires. The growth behaviors and diffusion mechanisms of the two silicide heterostructure nanowires were investigated with in-situ TEM at 700 degrees C. During the growth of chromium silicide nanowires, unique amorphous Si phase would form first in front of silicide nanowires. Also, we found that oxide-shell could control the diffusion process in silicon nanowires. With oxide-shell, compression stress would restrain the growth of chromium silicide in the radial direction but accelerate its growth rate in the axial direction. Additionally, Al2O3 shell reduced the radial expansion of chromium silicide nanowires and hindered Cr-rich phases with Cr5Si3 appearing as the first phase. The crystal structures of the nanowires have been identified to be single-crystalline A15 and D8m type structure of the intrinsic Cr3Si nanowires and Cr5Si3 nanowires, respectively. In addition to fundamental science, the significant study is beneficial for future processing techniques in nanotechnology and related applications. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd.