Electrochemical Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Hysteresis in Ener-gy Materials: Focusing on the Solid Side

TL;DR

This paper reviews the thermodynamics, kinetics, and hysteresis of electrochemical phase transitions in solid materials, emphasizing the role of cyclic voltammetry in understanding reaction mechanisms to enhance energy storage technologies.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding solid-to-solid electrochemical phase transitions and highlights recent insights into their mechanisms using CV modeling.

Findings

Insights into EPT mechanisms in Ni(OH)2, LiFePO4, and MnO2

Importance of CV modeling for reaction mechanism analysis

Fundamental understanding to improve energy storage materials

Abstract

Bulk electrochemical phase transitions (EPTs) are the cornerstone of most modern electro-chemical technologies, underlying many energy storage and electrocatalytic systems. Nonetheless, the fundamental mechanisms governing EPTs in solid-to-solid systems re-main only partially understood because they involve complex interactions between phase transitions and electrochemical reactions. This mini-review introduces the thermodynam-ics of EPTs based on the general framework of phase transitions and mixtures, followed by a discussion of electrochemical hysteresis and kinetics in EPTs. Finally, using recent insights into the EPTS in Ni(OH)2, LiFePO4, and MnO2 materials, the importance of Cyclic Voltamme-try (CV) modelling in discerning underlying reaction mechanisms is highlighted. This mini-review inspires fundamental research into solid-to-solid EPTs for improving the perfor-mance of current energy storage materials.