Electrochemical processes associated with changes in structure, connectivity or composition typically proceed via new phase nucleation with subsequent growth of nuclei. Understanding and controlling reactions requires the elucidation and control of nucleation mechanisms. However, factors controlling nucleation kinetics, including the interplay between local mechanical conditions, microstructure and local ionic profile remain inaccessible. Furthermore, the tendency of current probing techniques to interfere with the original microstructure prevents a systematic evaluation of the correlation between the microstructure and local electrochemical reactivity. In this work, the spatial variability of irreversible nucleation processes of Li on a Li-ion conductive glass-ceramics surface is studied with ~30 nm resolution. An increased nucleation rate at the boundaries between the crystalline AlPO4 phase and amorphous matrix is observed and attributed to Li segregation. This study opens a pathway for probing mechanisms at the level of single structural defects and elucidation of electrochemical activities in nanoscale volumes.
The work is devoted to the development of a Cu-Nb composite material and an approach to the design of reliable tool coils, which require a magnetic field of about 40 T with a microsecond duration. A powder method has been applied to obtain homogeneous samples from a fine Cu-Nb composite alloy. The dependence of electrical and mechanical properties on annealing temperature was investigated. Layered sample was produced and tested under conditions of high magnetic field generation in comparison with a commercial wire.
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