Accurate Internal Monitoring of Batteries by Embedded Piezoelectric Sensors.

Advancements in operando techniques have unraveled the complexities of the Electrode Electrolyte Interface (EEI) in electrochemical energy storage devices. However, each technique has inherent limitations, often necessitating adjustments to experimental conditions, which may compromise accuracy. To address this challenge, a novel battery cell design is introduced, integrating piezoelectric sensors with electrochemical analysis for surface-sensitive operando measurements.

Disclosing the Interfacial Electrolyte Structure of Na-Insertion Electrode Materials: Origins of the Desolvation Phenomenon.

Among a variety of promising cathode materials for Na-ion batteries, polyanionic Na-insertion compounds are among the preferred choices due to known fast sodium transfer through the ion channels along their framework structures. The most interesting representatives are NaV(PO) (NVP) and NaV(PO)F (NVPF), which display large Na diffusion coefficients (up to 10 m s in NVP) and high voltage plateaux (up to 4.2 V for NVPF).

Targeting the Right Metrics for an Efficient Solvent-Free Formulation of PEO:LiTFSI:LiPSCl Hybrid Solid Electrolyte.

Hybrid solid electrolytes (HSEs) aim to combine the superior ionic conductivity of inorganic fillers with the scalable process of polymer electrolytes in a unique material for solid-state batteries. Pursuing the goal of optimizing the key metrics (σ ≥ 10 S·cm at 25 °C and self-standing property), we successfully developed an HSE based on a modified poly(ethylene oxide):LiTFSI organic matrix, which binds together a high loading (75 wt %) of LiPSCl particles, following a solvent-free route. A rational study of available formulation parameters has enabled us to understand the role of each component in conductivity, mixing, and mechanical cohesion.

Detangling electrolyte chemical dynamics in lithium sulfur batteries by operando monitoring with optical resonance combs.

Challenges in enabling next-generation rechargeable batteries with lower cost, higher energy density, and longer cycling life stem not only from combining appropriate materials, but from optimally using cell components. One-size-fits-all approaches to operational cycling and monitoring are limited in improving sustainability if they cannot utilize and capture essential chemical dynamics and states of electrodes and electrolytes. Herein we describe and show how the use of tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) sensors to track, via the monitoring of both temperature and refractive index metrics, electrolyte-electrode coupled changes that fundamentally control lithium sulfur batteries.