Electrochemistry of All-solid-state-battery Processes using Operando Electron Microscopy

ended

All-solid-state batteries(ASSB) enabled by electrochemically stable solid electrolytes represent a promising alternative to the conventional lithium batteries with liquid electrolytes which jeopardize battery safety. However, the complex charge transfer at solid-solid interfaces greatly limits the electrochemical performance of ASSB. Therefore, a detailed understanding of how the morphology, structure and chemical composition changes at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces and within the solid electrolyte particles and/or across grain boundaries on battery cycling is urgently needed. In this project, I will utilize operando transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM), to visualize the morphological, structural and chemical changes across electrode-electrolyte and electrolyte-electrolyte interfaces during battery cycling to develop new insights into ion transfer mechanisms at the atomic scale. For this, utilizing one of the best TEM facilities in the world including the expertise of TEM specialists and availability of sophisticated TEM specimen holders at the Ernst Ruska-Centre in Forschungszentrum Jülich, with state-of-the-art battery materials and battery engineering at Imperial College London and my expertise in designing and performing operando TEM battery studies, I will construct all-solid-state micro-batteries inside TEM and visualize morphological, structural and chemical changes at battery interfaces during (de)lithiation and compare these with that of liquid electrolytes to determine the best battery architecture. To evaluate how such nanoscale processes impact the performance of lab-scale ASSB batteries, SEM-based cells will be employed. The understanding of interfacial processes that dictate the potential of ASSB and new strategies to improve the battery performance developed from this project will be disseminated to a wide range of audience including battery industries, to advance ASSB technology for sustainable future.