Perspectives in 2022

Coin and pouch cells are typically fabricated to assess the performance of new materials and components for lithium batteries. Here, parameters related to cell fabrication that influence the reliability of these measurements are discussed, including guidelines for reliable cell preparation.

3D perovskites are widely researched for their use in optoelectronic devices, yet suffer from issues with environmental stability. Here, the improved stability of 2D and quasi-2D perovskites under a range of environmental factors, as compared to their 3D counterparts, is discussed.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is a powerful and increasingly accessible approach for studying kinetic processes in batteries. Here, key factors for using impedance to obtain accurate and reproducible data from batteries are discussed, providing guidance for researchers.

Machine learning is an increasingly important tool for materials science. Here, the authors suggest that its contextual use, including careful assessment of resources and bias, judicious model selection, and an understanding of its limitations, will help researchers to expedite scientific discovery.

Battery research is often focused on candidate materials that result in the most promising battery performance numbers, which makes it vital that findings are accurately reported. This paper discusses a number of errors that often occur in the battery literature, which impact reproducibility.