# Influence of the electrode nano/microstructure on the electrochemical properties of graphite in aluminum batteries

## TL;DR

This study investigates how the micro and nanostructure of graphite electrodes affects their electrochemical performance in aluminum batteries, revealing porosity loss and ion trapping as key factors in capacity irreversibility.

## Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive characterization approach linking graphite microstructure modifications to electrochemical behavior in aluminum batteries.

## Key findings

- Porosity decreases significantly during initial cycles.
- Microstructural changes lead to ion trapping.
- The methodology can be applied to other carbon materials.

## Abstract

Herein we report on a detailed investigation of the irreversible capacity in the first cycle of pyrolytic graphite electrodes in aluminum batteries employing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride:aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) as electrolyte. The reaction mechanism, involving the intercalation of AlCl4 in graphite, has been fully characterized by correlating the micro/nanostructural modification to the electrochemical performance. To achieve this aim a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and computed tomography (CT) has been used. The reported results evidence that the irreversibility is caused by a very large decrease in the porosity, which consequently leads to microstructural changes resulting in the trapping of ions in the graphite. A powerful characterization methodology is established, which can also be applied more generally to carbon-based energy-related materials. Introduction

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1906.02986