Atomic-Scale Structural Characterisation of Lithium Lanthium Titanate for Application as a Lithium Separation Membrane

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Atomic-Scale Structural Characterisation of Lithium Lanthium Titanate for Application as a Lithium Separation Membrane

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Author(s): Emma Hedley ¹ ^, , Hongyu Ma ² , Julian Ratcliffe ³ , Huanting Wang ² , Joanne Etheridge ¹ ^, ³

Publication date (Electronic): 21 January 2025

Conference name: 13th Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress 2025 (APMC13)

Conference date: 2-7 Febuary 2025

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Abstract

The development of efficient energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries has a vital role to play in the transition to clean energy sources in a variety of sectors, including stability of the energy grid and decarbonization of transport by the expansion of electric vehicles. In order to meet the demand for the significant increase in the production of Li-ion batteries, an increased focus is needed on methods to efficiently extract more lithium from natural resources. Many currently available commercial processes are very energy intensive, inefficient and the products lack sufficient purity to be used in Li-ion batteries [ 1]. Electrochemical separation via a lithium selective membrane, as illustrated in Figure 1.a has been proposed as an efficient method to extract Li from natural resources such as geothermal brines, salt lakes and even sea water [ 2].

In this study we perform atomic-scale structural characterisation of lithium lanthium titanate (LLTO), which has been demonstrated as a potential lithium separation membrane, using scanning transmission electron microscopy [ 3]. LLTO has a tetragonal perovskite-type structure with titanium in the B site position surround by oxygen ions forming corner sharing octahedra and alternating Li-rich and La-rich layers in the c—axis occupying the A site positions, as identified in Figure 1.b. Using aberration corrected STEM we identify a network of 90⁰ domain boundaries and stacking faults shown in Figure 2.a and 2.b respectively. The grain boundary structure is known to influence the Li conductivity of the material by introducing barriers that impede ionic flow, therefore understanding these atomic scale interfaces is crucial for optimizing LLTO as a membrane material [ 4].

Fig. 1

a) Schematic illustration of electrochemical separation of lithium from a brine solution through a lithium selective membrane. b) The structure of the LLTO membrane. c) Magnified view of the inset rectangle in a) showing how the depth section samples prepared by ultramicrotome are defined relative to the device structure.

Fig. 2

HAADF STEM images of LLTO showing a) a network of 90⁰ domain boundaries and b) a stacking fault where the La-rich and Li-rich layered alternate.

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Publication date (Electronic): 21 January 2025

Electronic Location Identifier: e329

Affiliations

[1 ]School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia

[2 ]Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia

[3 ]Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800 Australia

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*Corresponding author: emma.hedley@ 123456monash.edu

Article

DOI: 10.14293/APMC13-2025-0329

SO-VID: a331ed4b-c11a-4428-818c-2c2b9f6d80c6

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Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International ( CC BY 4.0). Users are allowed to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially), as long as the authors and the publisher are explicitly identified and properly acknowledged as the original source.

Conference name: 13th Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress 2025

Conference acronym: APMC13

Conference number: 13

Conference location: Brisbane, Australia

Conference date: 2-7 Febuary 2025

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Funding

Funded by: Australian Research Council grants

Award ID: FL220100202

Funded by: Australian Research Council grants

Award ID: DP220103800

Funded by: ARC

Award ID: LE170100118

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council grants FL220100202 and DP220103800. The authors acknowledge the use of the instruments and scientific and technical assistance at the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy, a Node of Microscopy Australia. This research used equipment funded by ARC grant LE170100118.

References

T. Kanagasundaram et al. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 509, (2024), 215727
T. Hoshino, Desalination, 359, (2015), 59–63
K. Morita et al. Desalination, 543, 2022, 116117
H. Moriwake et al. Journal of Power Sources, 276, (2015) 203e207

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[1] T. Kanagasundaram et al. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 509, (2024), 215727

[2] T. Hoshino, Desalination, 359, (2015), 59–63

[3] K. Morita et al. Desalination, 543, 2022, 116117

[4] H. Moriwake et al. Journal of Power Sources, 276, (2015) 203e207

Atomic-Scale Structural Characterisation of Lithium Lanthium Titanate for Application as a Lithium Separation Membrane

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