First 3D nanoscale observations of microstructural
degradation during charge-discharge cycles could point to new ways to engineer
battery electrode materials for better performance.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven
National Laboratory have made the first 3D observations of how the structure of
a lithium-ion battery anode evolves at the nanoscale in a real battery cell as
it discharges and recharges. The details of this research, described in a paper
published in Angewandte Chemie, could point to new ways to engineer battery
materials to increase the capacity and lifetime of rechargeable batteries.