Quantifying microstructural dynamics and electrochemical activity of graphite and silicon-graphite lithium ion battery anodes.
Despite numerous studies presenting advances in tomographic imaging and analysis of lithium ion batteries, graphite-based anodes have received little attention. Weak X-ray attenuation of graphite and, as a result, poor contrast between graphite and the other carbon-based components in an electrode pore space renders data analysis challenging. Here we demonstrate operando tomography of weakly attenuating electrodes during electrochemical (de)lithiation. We use propagation-based phase contrast tomography to facilitate the differentiation between weakly attenuating materials and apply digital volume correlation to capture the dynamics of the electrodes during operation. After validating that we can quantify the local electrochemical activity and microstructural changes throughout graphite electrodes, we apply our technique to graphite-silicon composite electrodes. We show that microstructural changes that occur during (de)lithiation of a pure graphite electrode are of the same order of magnitude as spatial inhomogeneities within it, while strain in composite electrodes is locally pronounced and introduces significant microstructural changes.
Laboratory of Nanoelectronics, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Gloriastrasse 35, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Patrick
P
Pietsch
Institute of Stochastics, Helmholtzstrasse 18, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
Daniel
D
Westhoff
Institute of Stochastics, Helmholtzstrasse 18, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
Julian
J
Feinauer
Laboratory of Nanoelectronics, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Gloriastrasse 35, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Jens
J
Eller
Swiss Light Source, WBBA/216, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland.
Federica
F
Marone
Swiss Light Source, WBBA/216, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland.|Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Gloriastrasse 35, University and ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Marco
M
Stampanoni
Institute of Stochastics, Helmholtzstrasse 18, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany.
Volker
V
Schmidt
Laboratory of Nanoelectronics, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Gloriastrasse 35, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Vanessa
V
Wood
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