Ju Zhijin, Yuan Huadong, Sheng Ouwei, Liu Tiefeng, Nai Jianwei, Wang Yao, Liu Yujing, Tao Xinyong
College of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University of Technology Hangzhou 310014 China.
Small Sci. 2021 Sep 15;1(11):2100055. doi: 10.1002/smsc.202100055. eCollection 2021 Nov.
Deep chemical and structural investigation of battery components is increasingly imperative for exploring new electrode materials and their performance iterations for the next-generation of energy storage devices with high energy density. This is particularly true in the research realm of lithium (Li) metal and its derivatives for the robust anode. Conventionally, both Li metal and its solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer are chemically reactive and sensitive to electron-beam irradiation, making the high-resolution observation difficult to perform at native environment. Recently, the emergence of cryo-electron microscopy (EM) has brought great opportunities to reveal the physicochemical properties of these energy materials. By means of cryo-EM, the high-resolution imaging of the samples at the nanometer or even atomic scale while maintaining their native state can be realized. Herein, the contributions of cryo-EM to the characterization of sensitive battery materials are focused on, which are tentatively classified as the following: the visualization of Li dendrites, inactive Li, and the discussion regarding electrode interface chemistry. The review concludes by providing several proposals for the development of cryo-EM in the future. It is hoped that this work will shed light on the in-depth understanding of battery materials for high-performance rechargeable batteries.
深入开展电池组件的化学和结构研究对于探索新型电极材料及其性能迭代，以用于下一代高能量密度储能设备而言愈发迫切。在锂（Li）金属及其衍生物作为坚固阳极的研究领域尤其如此。传统上，锂金属及其固体电解质界面（SEI）层都具有化学反应性且对电子束辐照敏感，这使得在自然环境下难以进行高分辨率观测。最近，冷冻电子显微镜（EM）的出现为揭示这些能量材料的物理化学性质带来了巨大机遇。借助冷冻电子显微镜，可以在保持样品自然状态的同时，实现对其在纳米甚至原子尺度上的高分辨率成像。在此，重点关注冷冻电子显微镜对敏感电池材料表征的贡献，这些贡献初步分为以下几类：锂枝晶、非活性锂的可视化以及关于电极界面化学的讨论。综述最后对冷冻电子显微镜未来的发展提出了几点建议。希望这项工作能为深入理解高性能可充电电池的电池材料提供帮助。
