In-situ TEM of microstructural evolution in composite solid-state Li-ion batteries during charge/discharge cycles

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have studied the structural integrity of a novel composite electrode composed of a polymer-derived ceramic nanoparticle and edge-functionalized graphene oxide during electrochemical lithiation and delithiation cycles.

They assembled a prototype nanobattery cell with a lithium metal and a SiCNO composite electrode and performed in-situ TEM lithation and delithation for at least two cycles using Hummingbird Scientific’s Biasing Manipulator TEM holder. The observed results demonstrated extraordinary structural stability of the SiCNO nanoparticles with only a 9.36% linear expansion during the lithiation (See Movie on the Left).

Movie Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society

Reference: Zhang et al.;  ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 8, 9794–9803. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c19681