Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

LI-ION BATTERIES

Looking cool

Nature Energy volume 3, pages 1023–1024 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Cryogenic-electron microscopy is rapidly transforming battery research. Now, this powerful technique has been used to identify lithium hydride as a surprising culprit behind Li-ion battery failure.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Cryogenic-electron microscopy for battery materials.

References

  1. Li, Y. et al. Revealing nanoscale passivation and corrosion mechanisms of reactive battery materials in gas environments. Nano Lett. 17, 5171–5178 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Li, Y. et al. Atomic structure of sensitive battery materials and interfaces revealed by cryo–electron microscopy. Science 358, 506–510 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Li, Y. et al. Correlating structure and function of battery interphases at atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. Joule. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2018.08.004 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wang, X. et al. New insights on the structure of electrochemically deposited lithium metal and its solid electrolyte interphases via cryogenic TEM. Nano Lett. 17, 7606–7612 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zachman, M. J., Tu, Z., Choudhury, S., Archer, L. A. & Kourkoutis, L. F. Cryo-STEM mapping of solid–liquid interfaces and dendrites in lithium-metal batteries. Nature 560, 345–349 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Cheng, X. et al. A review of solid electrolyte interphases on lithium metal anode. Adv. Sci. 3, 1500213 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Fernandez-Leiro, R. & Scheres, S. H. Unravelling biological macromolecules with cryo-electron microscopy. Nature 537, 339–346 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Tivol, W. F., Briegel, A. & Jensen, G. J. An improved cryogen for plunge freezing. Microsc. Microanal. 14, 375–379 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Egerton, R. F., Li, P. & Malac, M. Radiation damage in the TEM and SEM. Micron 35, 399–409 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA

    Yuzhang Li, Yanbin Li & Yi Cui

  2. Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA

    Yi Cui

Authors
  1. Yuzhang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yanbin Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yi Cui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Cui.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Y., Li, Y. & Cui, Y. Looking cool. Nat Energy 3, 1023–1024 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0284-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0284-z

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing