Identifying Layered Double Hydroxides for Electrochemical Anion Intercalation

Identifying Layered Double Hydroxides for Electrochemical Anion Intercalation

Matthias J. Young, Nicholas M. Bedford, Tatyana Kiryutina, Taylor J. Woehl

Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, Materials Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO

Electrochemical anion intercalation is a developing field which promises to enable rapid electrochemical desalination and open a new frontier for anion-based battery technology. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are common anion exchange materials with atomic structures similar to naturally-occuring clays, and have garnered recent interest in the electrochemical community due to their catalytic and corrosion-resistant properties. In this work, we examine whether the interlayer anions in LDHs are capable of reversibly incorporating under applied electrical bias. We have employed atomistic materials simulations to model the electrochemical properties of LDH structures with multivalent metal centers. From this modeling we identified candidate compositions of the LDHs to be experimentally evaluated for anion intercalation. LDH nanoplates were synthesized using coprecipitation and evaluated as electrode materials for anion intercalation using in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and in situ synchrotron characterization techniques.