Linking void and interphase evolution to electrochemistry in solid-state batteries using operando X-ray tomography.

Despite progress in solid-state battery engineering, our understanding of the chemo-mechanical phenomena that govern electrochemical behaviour and stability at solid-solid interfaces remains limited compared to at solid-liquid interfaces. Here, we use operando synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography to investigate the evolution of lithium/solid-state electrolyte interfaces during battery cycling, revealing how the complex interplay among void formation, interphase growth and volumetric changes determines cell behaviour. Void formation during lithium stripping is directly visualized in symmetric cells, and the loss of contact that drives current constriction at the interface between lithium and the solid-state electrolyte (Li10SnP2S12) is quantified and found to be the primary cause of cell failure. The interphase is found to be redox-active upon charge, and global volume changes occur owing to partial molar volume mismatches at either electrode. These results provide insight into how chemo-mechanical phenomena can affect cell performance, thus facilitating the development of solid-state batteries.

Nanostructured antireflective in-plane solar harvester.

In this work, we demonstrate a two-dimensional nano-hole array that can reduce reflection losses while passively trapping and harvesting incident light. The surface structure is designed to scavenge a small portion of incident light that would typically be lost due to Fresnel reflection, while the majority of light transmits unobstructed like a regular window. The trapping mechanism is dependent on angle and wavelength, and can be designed to selectively trap narrow wavelength bands using the constructed theoretical models. We demonstrate that structures with periods of 275 nm and 325 nm can trap different wavelength range within the visible spectrum, while simultaneously suppressing reflection losses. The trapping effect can be observed visually, and can be converted to a current output using a photovoltaic (PV) cell on the glass edge. The fabrication of such materials employs a simple replication process, and can be readily scaled up for large-scale manufacturing. The demonstrated solar harvester can be potentially be widely deployed in residential and commercial buildings as multifunctional windows for solar energy harvesting, scavenging, spectra splitting, and anti-glare properties.