The Li-ion battery was one of the transformative technologies of the 20th century and promises to have wider impact in the 21st century with the rapid uptake of electric vehicles. Battery degradation remains one of the most pressing issues facing vehicle electrification and is also critical across a range of industries from consumer electronics to aerospace. The increasingly demanding applications for Li-ion batteries mandate an improved understanding of the performance, degradation and failure of both materials and devices, and moreover motivates the exploration of new chemistries for post Li-ion batteries.

To advance this understanding, researchers have a portfolio of microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction and analytical tools, and the increasing trends towards multi-modal and in-situ or operando characterisation provides an opportunity probe the highly correlated physio-chemical phenomena associated with battery operation and degradation. For example, neutron techniques provide a high degree of complementarity to X-ray tools with their sensitivity to nuclear and electron density respectively.

In this programme, we will develop combined neutron imaging and diffraction tools, alongside novel X-ray imaging techniques - in concert, these tools provide an understanding of battery operation and degradation from the 'atom to the device' level. Leveraging the world leading capabilities across Diamond, ISIS and UCL, there is a unique opportunity to understand and explain degradation phenomena that arise during battery operation (for example as a function of voltage, temperature or cycle life), which will inform new approaches to materials and device, design and operation.