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  4. EXAMINATION OF THE ANISOTROPIC ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF NaxCoO2

EXAMINATION OF THE ANISOTROPIC ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF NaxCoO2

File(s)
Nwadiuko_cornell_0058O_12380.pdf (31.66 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/h4qd-c828
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/117400
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Nwadiuko, Mark
Abstract

NaxCoO2 thin films are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to their high capacity and stability. However, their anisotropic electronic properties present challenges for consistent device performance. This thesis investigates the influence of crystal orientation and grain boundary alignment on the electrical behavior of oriented NaxCoO2 thin films. To quantify microstructural effects, a custom Python-based image analysis tool was developed. The code enhances microscopy images using contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization and top-hat filtering, then extracts grain boundaries through ridge enhancement and skeletonization. Fourier transform analysis within a defined radial window was used to identify dominant grain boundary orientations. Results revealed a preferred alignment near 24°, indicating that grain boundaries are not randomly distributed and may influence directional charge transport. Experimental resistivity measurements further confirmed the presence of orientation-dependent conductivity. The (006)H orientation showed elevated resistivity, while other directions posed measurement challenges due to small grain size and structural defects introduced during synthesis. These findings demonstrate how microstructural texture and grain boundary orientation affect the performance of NaxCoO2 films. The results provide guidance for optimizing thin film synthesis and device architecture in sodium-based energy storage systems.

Description
42 pages
Date Issued
2025-05
Keywords
Electronic Properties
•
Metal Oxide
•
Na-ion
•
Thin Films
Committee Chair
Singer, Andrej
Committee Member
Nair, Hari
Degree Discipline
Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Name
M.S., Materials Science and Engineering
Degree Level
Master of Science
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/16938274

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