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Operando optical tracking of single-particle ion dynamics in batteries

Author

Listed:
  • Alice J. Merryweather

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Cambridge)

  • Christoph Schnedermann

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Quentin Jacquet

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Clare P. Grey

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Akshay Rao

    (University of Cambridge)

Abstract

The key to advancing lithium-ion battery technology—in particular, fast charging—is the ability to follow and understand the dynamic processes occurring in functioning materials under realistic conditions, in real time and on the nano- to mesoscale. Imaging of lithium-ion dynamics during battery operation (operando imaging) at present requires sophisticated synchrotron X-ray1–7 or electron microscopy8,9 techniques, which do not lend themselves to high-throughput material screening. This limits rapid and rational materials improvements. Here we introduce a simple laboratory-based, optical interferometric scattering microscope10–13 to resolve nanoscopic lithium-ion dynamics in battery materials, and apply it to follow cycling of individual particles of the archetypal cathode material14,15, LixCoO2, within an electrode matrix. We visualize the insulator-to-metal, solid solution and lithium ordering phase transitions directly and determine rates of lithium diffusion at the single-particle level, identifying different mechanisms on charge and discharge. Finally, we capture the dynamic formation of domain boundaries between different crystal orientations associated with the monoclinic lattice distortion at the Li0.5CoO2 composition16. The high-throughput nature of our methodology allows many particles to be sampled across the entire electrode and in future will enable exploration of the role of dislocations, morphologies and cycling rate on battery degradation. The generality of our imaging concept means that it can be applied to study any battery electrode, and more broadly, systems where the transport of ions is associated with electronic or structural changes. Such systems include nanoionic films, ionic conducting polymers, photocatalytic materials and memristors.

Suggested Citation

  • Alice J. Merryweather & Christoph Schnedermann & Quentin Jacquet & Clare P. Grey & Akshay Rao, 2021. "Operando optical tracking of single-particle ion dynamics in batteries," Nature, Nature, vol. 594(7864), pages 522-528, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:594:y:2021:i:7864:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03584-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03584-2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Isaac Martens & Nikita Vostrov & Marta Mirolo & Steven J. Leake & Edoardo Zatterin & Xiaobo Zhu & Lianzhou Wang & Jakub Drnec & Marie-Ingrid Richard & Tobias U. Schulli, 2023. "Defects and nanostrain gradients control phase transition mechanisms in single crystal high-voltage lithium spinel," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Chuanlai Liu & Franz Roters & Dierk Raabe, 2024. "Role of grain-level chemo-mechanics in composite cathode degradation of solid-state lithium batteries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Zhichen Xue & Nikhil Sharma & Feixiang Wu & Piero Pianetta & Feng Lin & Luxi Li & Kejie Zhao & Yijin Liu, 2023. "Asynchronous domain dynamics and equilibration in layered oxide battery cathode," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Thomas Astles & James G. McHugh & Rui Zhang & Qian Guo & Madeleine Howe & Zefei Wu & Kornelia Indykiewicz & Alex Summerfield & Zachary A. H. Goodwin & Sergey Slizovskiy & Daniil Domaretskiy & Andre K., 2024. "In-plane staging in lithium-ion intercalation of bilayer graphene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Wang, Limei & Jin, Mengjie & Cai, Yingfeng & Lian, Yubo & Zhao, Xiuliang & Wang, Ruochen & Qiao, Sibing & Chen, Long & Yan, Xueqing, 2023. "Construction of electrochemical model for high C-rate conditions in lithium-ion battery based on experimental analogy method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    6. Ben Niu & Wenxuan Jiang & Bo Jiang & Mengqi Lv & Sa Wang & Wei Wang, 2022. "Determining the depth of surface charging layer of single Prussian blue nanoparticles with pseudocapacitive behaviors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Roberta Cappabianca & Paolo De Angelis & Matteo Fasano & Eliodoro Chiavazzo & Pietro Asinari, 2023. "An Overview on Transport Phenomena within Solid Electrolyte Interphase and Their Impact on the Performance and Durability of Lithium-Ion Batteries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-30, June.

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