Battery Research
Shedding Light on the Workings of Energy Storage Materials
Energy generation and energy storage related applications require some of today’s most complex materials development initiatives to meet efficiency and reliability targets. Many of our electronic devices, from laptops to smartphones, are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, and they could soon extend into many other areas as well. This includes transport, through the ongoing development and adoption of electric vehicles. New materials are continuously being developed that transform the ways we capture, transmit, and store energy.
The performance of any battery, whether in terms of its capacity, lifetime or energy density, is ultimately down to the intrinsic properties of the materials that comprise its anode, cathode, electrolyte and SEI. Bruker has developed a comprehensive suite of characterization techniques to enable scientist to understand and optimize the physical and chemical properties, performance and stability of all battery components and the fully assembled battery cells.
Read on to find out how Atomic Force Microscopy, FTIR Spectroscopy, Nanomechanical Testing, X-ray Diffraction, Raman Microscopy, X-ray Microscopy, Magnetic Resonance and X-ray Spectroscopy shed light on the workings of energy storage materials.
Add Automation to your instrument
that significantly enhance research and operational outcomes. Automated systems handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing researchers to dedicate more time to critical thinking and innovation.
This leads to faster data collection and analysis, enabling quicker identification of material properties and ensuring the development of safer and more efficient batteries.
Additionally, our automation solutions ensures reproducibility and accuracy in experiments, which is crucial for validating results and maintaining high standards of quality control. By reducing manual errors and increasing throughput, our automation solutions help battery research institutions maximize their resources and achieve their goals more efficiently.
In-situ Characterization
Investigating solutes and electrodes
Researchers can in-situ monitor the electrochemical process in the solutes and electrodes of a lab-level battery model system. These model systems are not ready battery products, but one has the possibility to tune the anode, cathode materials, the electrolyte composition, temperature etc. during a programmed voltage cycle. FTIR spectroscopy is synchronised with electrochemical reaction. As result IR spectra over time / potential are collected. The combination of FTIR spectroscopy with electrochemistry offers insight in the molecular change and the reaction process of the studied molecules in addition to the electrochemical response of the experiment.
Follow battery cell behavior during cycling
During charge/ discharge, the cathode and anode of every battery cell undergo constant changes, e.g. due to the insertion of Li-cations. With X-ray diffraction (XRD), both the changing phase composition and the evolution of the crystal structure can be followed simultaneously. This allows researchers to understand new energy storage materials on an atomic level, follow the reaction that occur during cycling and monitor degradation behaviour to improve battery performance.
Our X-ray diffractometers support your research and development in battery materials, from ex-situ analysis of isolated cathode and anode materials, to the in-operando investigation of fully functional coin- and pouch-cells.
Observing Li-dendrite growth in situ
Lithium dendrite growth is one of the biggest problems affecting the safety of Li-ion batteries, but probing the initial stages of dendrite growth is difficult due to the reactive and fragile nature of lithium compounds, especially when studying growth at the solid electrolyte interface (SEI).
Using atomic force microscopy with electrochemical mode, the morphological evolution of the electrode surface under potential control can be traced. These experiments reveal different Li-deposition on graphite for different electrolytes, providing a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanism of dendritic growth in Li-batteries.
エネルギー貯蔵材料のIn-situ解析のための固体NMRプローブ
固体状態の核磁気共鳴（固体NMR）分光法を用いたin-situ測定では、電池材料の構造、ダイナミクス、電気化学的特性に関する貴重な知見を提供します。これにより研究者は電池動作中の材料挙動を研究でき、新規かつ改良された電池設計の開発に寄与します。
例えば、 in-situ NMR分光法は、電池の充放電サイクル中の電解質および電極材料の挙動を調査するために使用できます。この情報は、電池の性能を最適化し、動作中に発生する可能性のある潜在的な問題を特定するために活用できます。
さらに、 in-situ NMR分光法は、時間経過に伴う電池材料の劣化メカニズムの研究にも使用できます。これは、より耐久性が高く長寿命な電池の開発に役立ちます。
全体として、in-situ 固体NMR分光法は、電池性能を支配する基本プロセスをより深く理解し、次世代電池技術の開発を導く上で有用なため、電池研究・製造における強力なツールです。
Ex-situ and Failure Analysis
FT-IR based Analysis of Battery Gases
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used storage systems that play a crucial role in electric vehicles. However, in the event of a failure or thermal runaway, these batteries can release various toxic and hazardous gases. This underscores the necessity of monitoring the gases emitted by batteries in diverse scenarios, such as charging, overheating, or physical damage. The MATRIX II-MG and OMEGA 5 gas analyzers based on the FT-IR technology are well-suited for analyzing battery gases, offering rapid, accurate, and real-time analysis of gas mixtures. Consequently, these gas analyzers are indispensable for fire departments, battery cell manufacturers, battery recyclers, and transporters as they aid in detecting and analyzing potentially dangerous gases during emergencies.
Studying electrochemical side reactions by laser desorption/ionization imaging
In the emerging fields of electroorganic synthesis and battery research, electrochemical side reactions on the active surface of electrodes represent a major challenge for efficiency and reproducibility.
Often, the undesired polymerization of one or more compounds on the active surface of electrodes is observed. These polymers tend to adsorb on the electrode leading to a passivation of the active surface, which is often referred to as “electrode fouling”.
Mass spectrometric imaging using the timsTOF fleX enables the identification and the spatially resolved visualization of the adsorbed side products. Hence, timsTOF fleX-based imaging allows the investigation of electrode fouling and provides valuable insight into electrochemical reaction pathways.
Increasing battery safety
Mechanical damage, including brittle failure of the electrodes and separator penetration, can give rise to dramatic releases of stored energy, including battery fires. Moreover, failures of coatings, mechanical (or ion) induced swelling and stiffening, stresses arising from fabrication, and mechanical stresses and damage from multiple charge-discharge cycles pose significant challenges for new device development and integration. Thus, for both safety and performance reasons, it is necessary to understand how these devices perform mechanically, including each component at the appropriate size scale.
Nanomechanical testing of battery materials provides quantitative characterization for emerging materials and deeper insight for improving mechanical performance.
Carbon analysis in flexible electrodes
Batteries using LiFePO4 (LFP) based cathodes are known to be very safe and show no risk of thermal runaway but have a low electrical conductivity, limiting the performance at high charge/ discharge rates. A very thin carbon coating on the LFP particles can improve its conductivity. The anodic stability of carbon coated cathode materials can be studied with Raman Spectroscopy, which demonstrates the homogeneity of the coating.
All components of a battery like anode/cathode materials and electrolytes can be analyzed with a very high lateral resolution using Raman microspectroscopy, both ex- and in -situ. Carbon is widely used in batteries. Raman spectra can be used to distinguish its allotropes and provide further information like defect concentration.
電池の研究・製造における磁気共鳴技術の広範な応用
磁気共鳴技術は、研究者が電池性能を支配する化学的・物理的プロセスを深く理解することを可能にし、電池産業にとって貴重なツールを提供します。この技術は、電池製造のバリューチェーンおよびサプライチェーンにも効果的に適用でき、電極、電解液、セパレータを含む電池部品・材料の一貫した品質を確保します。さらに、磁気共鳴技術は電池製造工程の監視にも活用でき、電池性能や安全性を損なう可能性のある欠陥や不整合を特定します。この技術を活用することで、電池メーカーは生産能力を強化し、市場の増大する需要に応える効率的で耐久性が高く、コスト効率に優れた電池ソリューションを開発できます。
電池メーカーであれ研究者であれ、磁気共鳴は急速に進化する電池研究・製造の世界において革新を実現するお手伝いをします。
Verify structural integrity and research microstructure of electrodes
X-ray microscopy enables to non-destructively visualize the internal 3D structure of batteries and fuel cells. XRM is therefore a great tool to help understanding failure mechanisms by monitoring the internal alignment of components such as electrode separation over the battery life time, or in stress tests.
The electrode microstructure of modern high-performance batteries such as Li-ion batteries significantly impacts key properties such as cycle life time and capacity. A lot of efforts therefore go into careful optimization of processing parameters to tease out the best battery performance. XRM as multi-scale analysis technique supports advanced battery research since it can reveal at high resolution the microstructure of the individual anode and cathode layers.
Elemental mapping in lead-acid battery electrodes
Lead-acid batteries (accumulators) are rechargeable devices for storing electric energy generated by electrochemical processes. The batteries consist of electrodes made of lead (Pb) and lead dioxide (PbO2) and dilute sulfuric acid (37% H2SO4) as electrolyte. During discharge of lead-acid batteries, finely dispersed lead sulfate (PbSO4) forms on electrodes in a process that is reversed by recharging. However, under certain conditions, permanent deposits can also form on the electrodes. X-ray element maps acquired by WDS are ideal for investigating the nature and spatial distribution of sulfation deposits leading to battery failure.
