Lithium batteries and beyond. In situ powder diffraction studies of rechargeable batteries

What is really going on inside a rechargeable battery? Can we investigate the changes in crystal structure and microstructure during charge and discharge? We use X-ray and neutron diffraction to investigate reactions, transformation and degradation of materials inside an operating device, so-called in situ or operando studies. We are interested in materials transformation as well as interface formation and reactions.

We have projects on developing methods for in situ (operando) X-ray diffraction studies of batteries during charge and discharge using in-house or synchrotron X-ray sources. We will investigate conventional lithium batteries and next-generation batteries.