Electrode strain dynamics in layered intercalation battery cathodes

Sun, Tianxiao [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000219873915); Qian, Guannan [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000270008767); Fang, Ruqing [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000245796976); Zan, Guibin [Sigray Inc., Concord, CA (United States)]; Xue, Zhichen [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)] (ORCID:0000000315111777); Trask, Stephen E. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000208794779); Gutierrez, Arturo [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000228993089); Li, Wenlong [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000331446219); Deng, Shimao [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0009000295867709); Li, Luxi [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000292598796); Yun, Wenbing [Sigray Inc., Concord, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000988192484); Pianetta, Piero [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)] (ORCID:0000000248346014); Yu, Guihua [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000232530749); Croy, Jason R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000258393666); Chueh, William C. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES)] (ORCID:0000000270663470); Zhu, Juner [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170722293); Liu, Yijin [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000284172488)

doi:10.1126/science.aea2763

DOE OSTI · 3372192

Electrode strain dynamics in layered intercalation battery cathodes

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Abstract

Rechargeable batteries using electrodes based on intercalation chemistry exhibit notable cyclability, yet their performance still suffers from chemomechanical degradation. In this study, by combining a suite of operando microscopy methods, we explored electrode strain evolution and observed intricate particle cluster rearrangement under electrochemical stimuli. We show that early-stage strain accumulation in intercalation cathodes occurs during the period of interparticle charge transfer and redox reactions stemming from asynchronous coupling and decoupling between chemical (de)intercalation and physical grain motion. This interplay drives heterogeneous redox activity, localized charge equilibration, and multiscale strain cascades that propagate through an asynchronous network of chemical-mechanical interactions. Together, these findings reveal how collective particle dynamics and hierarchical strain transmission dictate electrode deformation and degradation in intercalation cathodes.

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Sun, Tianxiao [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000219873915), Qian, Guannan [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000270008767), Fang, Ruqing [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000245796976), Zan, Guibin [Sigray Inc., Concord, CA (United States)], Xue, Zhichen [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)] (ORCID:0000000315111777), Trask, Stephen E. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000208794779), Gutierrez, Arturo [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000228993089), Li, Wenlong [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000331446219), Deng, Shimao [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0009000295867709), Li, Luxi [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000292598796), Yun, Wenbing [Sigray Inc., Concord, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0009000988192484), Pianetta, Piero [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)] (ORCID:0000000248346014), Yu, Guihua [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000232530749), Croy, Jason R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000258393666), Chueh, William C. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES)] (ORCID:0000000270663470), Zhu, Juner [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000170722293), Liu, Yijin [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000284172488). 2025-12-18. Electrode strain dynamics in layered intercalation battery cathodes. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea2763

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