Intercalation and diffusion of lithium ions in a carbon nanotube bundle by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

The intercalation and diffusion of lithium ions in a bundle of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated via an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation method based on the density functional theory. We found that lithium ions quickly penetrate into the CNTs and the space between neighboring CNTs. With a low Li ion density, the Li ions tend to stay close to the nanotube ends. Interestingly, Li ions are able to penetrate through the carbon nanotube and move from one end to the other. We also discovered that Li ions may remain between two neighboring CNTs, which presents a new approach for Li ion intercalation and storage. Importantly, Li ions located among three neighboring CNTs have very strong adsorption potentials that are a factor of four larger than those of Li ions located along the central axis of a single-walled nanotube (SWNT). This indicates that Li ions located among three neighboring CNTs would be very difficult to remove from a nanotube bundle, which suggests that Li storage capacity in this case is possibly irreversible, and that keeping the nanotubes apart with an appropriate distance would hinder or promote the formation of irreversible intercalation. Our findings contribute to the understanding of lithium intercalation and diffusion in CNTs, which has implications for the experimental development and application of rechargeable Li ion batteries.