Mapping the anode surface-electrolyte interphase: Investigating a life limiting process of lithium primary batteries

Cathode solubility in batteries can lead to decreased and unpredictable long-term battery behavior due to transition metal deposition on the negative electrode such that it no longer supports high current. Analysis of negative electrodes from cells containing vanadium oxide or phosphorus oxide based cathode systems retrieved after long-term testing was conducted. This report demonstrates the use of synchrotron based X-ray microfluorescence (XRμF) to map negative battery electrodes in conjunction with microbeam X-ray absorption spectroscopy (μXAS) to determine the oxidation states of the metal centers resident in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and at the electrode surface. Based on the empirical findings, a conceptual model for the location of metal ions in the SEI and their role in impacting lithium ion mobility at the electrode surfaces is proposed.