Above: Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of the natural graphite anode material revealing the flakelike morphology. Scale bar: 5 μm
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Hummingbird Scientific have used Hummingbird Scientific’s award-winning in-situ liquid flow electrochemical TEM holder to image the early stages of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in lithium-ion batteries. The clarity and real-time imaging made possible by this technology have allowed researchers to examine the growth rate and morphology of the SEI in its natural liquid environment, shedding light on some of the larger questions surrounding electrochemical energy technologies.
Top: Images extracted from in-situ video sequences of SEI formation. Images displayed are at 20 second time intervals.
Bottom: Plot of growth and growth rate measured as displacement of the SEI growth front from individual BF-TEM images at 10 second intervals.
Unocic et al., 2014. “Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation in Lithium-Ion Batteries,” Microscopy & Microanalysis. Images courtesy of Unocic et al. (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). Copyright @2014 Cambridge University Press.