Operando Total Scattering Studies Of Amorphous Silicon For Lithium Ion Batteries Using A Multi-Channel Collimator To Probe Coin Cells

This experiment aims to apply a novel method to study the mechanism of silicon alloying anode materials for lithium ion batteries at the atomic level using total scattering. A multi-channel collimator will be used to zoom in on the active material inside the working anode and extract high quality pair distribution function data on the amorphous structures at high speed during battery cycling. This will reveal both the detailed mechanism of silicon (de)lithiation and the diffusion kinetics through the thickness of electrode. We will also establish whether these experiments can be done using a conventional coin cell rather than a custom-made cell.