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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 looks inside operating lithium-ion batteries to investigate a process that can significantly affect their lifetime: chemical crosstalk between electrodes.
The study “Dynamics of transition metal dissolution and cross-contamination in operating Lithium-ion batteries” introduces a new operando sensing technique capable of detecting and tracking dissolved species while the battery is operating.
Read the publication: https://zenodo.org/records/15000630
During battery operation, reactive species can dissolve from one electrode, travel through the electrolyte and reach the opposite electrode. This phenomenon, known as chemical crosstalk, can interfere with electrode operation and contribute to battery degradation.
Transition metals released from cathode materials are particularly important. Once dissolved, they can migrate towards the negative electrode and interfere with the protective solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), potentially contributing to capacity loss.
Understanding when these species are released, how much material dissolves and how it moves through the battery is therefore important for developing more durable battery technologies.
To investigate this process, the researchers developed a relatively simple operando crosstalk sensor based on a platinum mesh positioned between the positive and negative electrodes.
The sensor captures electrochemically active species travelling between the electrodes, allowing researchers to monitor the process in real time during charging and discharging.
The approach was tested using the high-voltage cathode material LiNi₀.₅Mn₁.₅O₄ (LNMO). The sensor successfully detected and trapped dissolved transition metals, particularly manganese and nickel, while maintaining a minimal impact on the electrochemical performance of the cell.
The measurements showed that metal dissolution occurs throughout battery operation, but its extent strongly depends on operating voltage and electrolyte composition.
Higher levels of dissolution were observed at high voltages and when using an electrolyte with lower resistance to oxidation. The results therefore point to an important connection between electrolyte oxidation and degradation of the cathode material.
After only five charge–discharge cycles, the loss of active LNMO material associated with metal dissolution reached as much as 2% by weight under the tested conditions.
The experiments also showed that metallic species dominated the observed crosstalk compared with non-metallic redox shuttles.
One of the major advantages of the new approach is that it provides information while the battery is operating, rather than relying only on analysis before or after cycling.
The sensor can dynamically quantify metal dissolution at different operating voltages and offers high sensitivity and rapid measurements while having only a small impact on normal cell operation.
This makes it a potentially affordable and complementary tool to more complex operando techniques such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
Understanding chemical crosstalk can help researchers identify why battery materials degrade and develop strategies to reduce these effects.
The sensing approach could support research into more stable active materials, protective surface coatings, improved electrolytes and additives, and separator designs that limit unwanted transport between electrodes.
By revealing degradation processes as they happen, this research contributes to the broader OPINCHARGE goal of developing a deeper understanding of battery interfaces and supporting the development of safer, more efficient and longer-lasting energy-storage technologies.
