A nanoscale view into the inner workings of lithium-ion batteries could yield critical clues to overall battery performance. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences used a method called electrochemical strain microscopy to take an unprecedented look at the kinetics of a lithium-ion battery anode with a resolution below 10 nanometers. The ORNL team isolated and mapped two key electrochemical processes, ionic reaction and transport, which help define how a battery functions. "Understanding the ionic flow is the key to improving existing battery technologies," ORNL's Sergei Kalinin said, noting the technique can be used to examine other energy storage devices such as fuel cells. The researchers published their results in the journal ACS Nano.
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