A recent work from the group of Prof. Lin Zhang will be published in the prestigious journal Science Advances.
Advancing the lithium-ion battery technology requires the understanding of electrochemical processes in electrode materials with high resolution, accuracy, and sensitivity. However, most techniques today are limited by their inability to separate the complex signals from slurry-coated composite electrodes.
Here, we employ a 3D Swiss-roll microtubular electrode that is incorporated into a micrometer-sized lithium battery. This on-chip platform combines various in-situ characterization techniques and precisely probes the intrinsic electrochemical properties of each active material due to the removal of unnecessary binders and additives. As an example, it helps to elucidate the critical role of Fe substitution in a conversion-type NiO electrode, by monitoring the evolution of Fe2O3 and solid electrolyte interphase layer. The drastically enhanced electrode performances are therefore explained. Our approach exposes a hitherto unexplored route to tracking the phase, morphology, and electrochemical evolution of electrodes in real-time, allowing to reveal information that is not accessible with bulk-level characterization techniques.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Lin Zhang