Improving Lithium-Ion Batteries eBook

The efficiency of renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power have drastically increased over the last decade. In addition, the cost of owning these technologies for households as well as energy companies has dropped significantly. This sustainable energy revolution has created a huge demand for energy storage devices, including batteries. Of particular interest is the development and improvement of portable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries because of their advantages over traditional battery technologies. Li-ion batteries offer the highest energy density compared to other existing rechargeable batteries, making them faster to charge and longer-lasting even for high-demand needs such as powering electric cars, powering electric machinery, and as energy sources for households.

Li-ion batteries continue to improve as energy storage needs increase. However, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of the chemical reactions that happen within Li-ion batteries. This knowledge gap has caused several high-profile reports of failures, including explosions and fires caused by Li-ion batteries during charging, use, and storage. Therefore, a variety of research is underway to make this technology more efficient, useful, and safe.

Raman spectroscopy for battery research

What you will learn from this eBook

This eBook explores how Raman spectroscopy can be utilized to study Li-ion batteries and their components. The focus is the analysis of anode material, cathode material, and electrolyte, separated into three sections in the eBook. Raman spectroscopy has many advantages, but the most crucial ones for battery applications are those that involve analyzing subtle changes in molecular structure or local chemical environments, with both in situ and ex situ analysis capabilities. The spectral results can usually be correlated with the electrochemical performance. There have been significant improvements in commercial Raman instrumentation over the last several years. Important advances in both hardware and software have made modern Raman instruments much more user-friendly and removed many of the obstacles that, in the past, made routine use of Raman spectroscopy arduous for users with limited expertise.