Research Field

Batteries & Supercapacitors

Watch electrodes evolve as they charge and discharge. At atomic resolution, under realistic operating conditions.

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Overview

Understand energy storage where it actually happens

Electrochemical energy storage technologies are critical enablers of the global energy transition. From lithium-ion and solid-state batteries to emerging zinc-based systems and next-generation alloying anodes, understanding dynamic electrochemical processes at the nanoscale is essential for improving energy density, cycle life, safety, and charging performance.
DENSsolutions technologies enable researchers to visualize battery materials under realistic operating conditions, combining electrical biasing, liquid environments, heating, and advanced microscopy techniques to reveal how electrodes evolve during charging and discharging.

Suitable platforms

Platforms for this research area

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Heating & biasing · TEM / SEM

Lightning

Precise electrical biasing and Joule heating for solid-state and dry electrochemistry. Observe delithiation and structural evolution of cathode materials at atomic resolution.

Biasing Heating TEM SEM
Learn more Liquid, heating & biasing · TEM

Stream∞

A liquid environment with integrated biasing and heating. Study electrodeposition, dendrite growth and electrode dynamics in real electrolytes as they happen.

Liquid Biasing Heating TEM
Learn more Liquid & biasing · SEM

HydroBolt

Bulk liquid electrochemistry in the SEM. Cycle battery and supercapacitor electrodes in real electrolytes and watch morphology evolve during operation.

Liquid Electrochemistry SEM
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Featured research

Featured experiments

A selection of recent publications enabled by DENSsolutions in situ TEM platforms.

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This research was done using Done using Lightning

Three-Dimensional Atomic-Scale Observation of Structural Evolution of Cathode Material in a Working All-Solid-State Battery

This landmark study demonstrated direct three-dimensional atomic-scale visualization of structural evolution in a functioning all-solid-state battery. Using in situ TEM biasing, the authors tracked how cathode materials transform during electrochemical cycling, providing unprecedented insight into the mechanisms governing degradation and performance loss. The work represented one of the first demonstrations of true operando atomic-resolution characterization of battery materials during operation.
Gong, Y.; Wang, F.; et al.Three-Dimensional Atomic-Scale Observation of Structural Evolution of Cathode Material in a Working All-Solid-State Battery. Nature Communications 9, 3341 (2018).
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This research was done using Done using Lightning

In Situ Atomic-Scale Observation of Electrochemical Delithiation of LiCoO₂ in a Working All-Solid-State Battery

This pioneering work achieved atomic-scale visualization of lithium extraction from LiCoO₂ inside a working all-solid-state battery. The study revealed how delithiation induces structural transformations within the cathode crystal lattice and provided direct evidence linking atomic-scale changes to electrochemical performance. These insights are highly relevant for optimizing cathode materials used throughout the battery industry.
Gong, Y.; Wang, F.; et al.In Situ Atomic-Scale Observation of Electrochemical Delithiation of LiCoO₂ in a Working All-Solid-State Battery. Journal of the American Chemical Society 139, 4274–4277 (2017).
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This research was done using Done using Stream

Toward Quantitative Electrodeposition via In Situ liquid-Phase TEM: Studying Electroplated Zinc Using Basic Image Processing and 4D STEM

Electrodeposition plays a central role in battery manufacturing, metal-anode growth, corrosion science, and electrochemical energy storage. In this study, the authors developed a quantitative framework for analyzing electrochemical deposition processes using in situ liquid-phase TEM. The work demonstrates how dynamic nucleation and growth behavior can be measured directly, opening the door to quantitative operando electrochemistry inside the electron microscope.

Park, J. et al.Toward Quantitative Electrodeposition via In Situ liquid-Phase TEM. Small Methods 8, 2400081 (2024).
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energy storage materials
This research was done using Done using Stream

Unraveling Dynamical Behaviors of Zinc Metal Electrodes in Aqueous Electrolytes Through an Operando Study

Zinc batteries are attracting significant interest due to their safety, low cost, and sustainability. This study directly visualized zinc plating and stripping processes in aqueous electrolytes under operando conditions. The authors revealed the mechanisms responsible for dendrite growth, dead-zinc formation, and morphology evolution, while also investigating how electrolyte additives influence electrochemical performance.
Huang, Y. et al.Unraveling Dynamical Behaviors of Zinc Metal Electrodes in Aqueous Electrolytes Through an Operando Study. Energy Storage Materials 46, 243–251 (2022).
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PRX energy
This research was done using Done using Stream

Quantifying Phase Transformations in Alloying Anodes via In-Situ liquid Cell Hard X-Ray Spectroscopy and Cryogenic Microscopy

Alloying anodes such as silicon and tin offer substantially higher theoretical capacities than conventional graphite but undergo significant structural and phase transformations during cycling. This study combines in situ liquid-cell methodologies with advanced spectroscopy and cryogenic microscopy to quantify these transformations, providing new insight into the mechanisms governing alloying-anode performance and degradation.
Mulcahy, N. et al.Quantifying Phase Transformations in Alloying Anodes via In-Situ liquid Cell Hard X-Ray Spectroscopy and Cryogenic Microscopy. PRX Energy (2026).
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