Designing Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Batteries: Insights from Advanced Analyses of Reaction Mechanisms

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have long been the preferred choice for energy storage in devices such as laptops and electric vehicles.However, despite their widespread use,LIBs are struggling to meet the increasing demand for higher energy density as technology advances. This has created an urgent need to develop alternative battery systems to replace current LIBs.The challenge is intensified by the complex reaction mechanisms in most post-Li- ion battery systems. Therefore, a thorough understanding of these mechanisms during charge/discharge cycles is crucial for their development.

This presentation will focus on exploring the reaction mechanisms of post-Li-ion batteries through operando imaging. For instance, significant attention has been given to studying Li anodes due to their high theoretical specific capacities.However, the complex and not fully understood nature of the reaction mechanisms poses additional challenges.Operando X-ray microscopy is used to observe the morphological evolution of post-Li-ion battery electrodes in real-time during battery operation. By directly observing the changes in electrode materials, we can gain new insights into the intricacies of the reaction mechanisms.