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In the OPINCHARGE Scientific Publications series, we highlight research that advances our understanding of materials, interfaces and processes relevant to next-generation energy technologies. This publication presents a new way to visualise how lithium moves inside a solid-state battery while the battery is actually operating.
The study “Operando visualization of Li distribution in solid-state batteries using focused ion beam-secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging” was authored by Sayantan Sharma, Alexander Santiago, Maria Martinez-Ibañez, Mathieu Gerard, Athira Suresh Kumar, Olivier De Castro, Tom Wirtz and Santhana Eswara.
Read the publication: https://zenodo.org/records/15781178
Solid-state batteries are considered a promising next generation of energy-storage technologies, offering potential advantages in energy density, stability and safety.
However, their performance depends strongly on how lithium ions move through electrodes and solid electrolytes. Understanding these transport pathways — and how they change during battery operation — is essential for identifying degradation mechanisms and improving battery performance.
Traditional analysis often examines batteries before or after operation. While useful, these approaches cannot fully capture the dynamic processes taking place inside a working battery.
The researchers developed a new operando imaging methodology that combines focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy with secondary ion mass spectrometry (FIB-SEM-SIMS).
A specially designed electrochemical setup allows the battery to continue operating while SIMS imaging is performed. This means researchers can observe changes in lithium distribution without interrupting the electrochemical process.
To demonstrate the method, the team used a solid-state lithium half-cell containing an electrode enriched with the lithium isotope ⁶Li. By tracking this isotope, they could distinguish lithium moving from the electrode from lithium already present in the electrolyte.
During electrochemical charging, the measurements clearly showed an increase in ⁶Li within the electrolyte, directly visualising the movement of lithium ions from the working electrode.
Importantly, the researchers were able to follow these changes at different stages of battery operation and at high spatial resolution.
The experiments also showed that lithium enrichment was not completely uniform across the electrolyte. Different regions displayed different lithium concentrations, highlighting the complex and local nature of ion transport inside solid-state batteries.
The study demonstrates a methodology capable of combining battery operation, structural imaging and chemical analysis in the same instrument.
According to the researchers, the developed setup represents the first fully operando correlative SE-SIMS imaging approach for solid-state batteries of its kind.
This opens new possibilities for investigating not only lithium transport, but also processes such as dendrite growth, passivation-layer formation and degradation at battery interfaces.
Being able to see where lithium moves — while a battery is running — can provide researchers with valuable information about the mechanisms that determine battery performance and lifetime.
The methodology developed in this OPINCHARGE-supported research could therefore help scientists better understand ion transport pathways, interfaces and degradation processes, contributing to the development of more efficient and durable solid-state battery technologies.
