Silicon is a promising negative electrode material for high-energy batteries, but its volume changes during cell cycling cause rapid degradation, limiting its loading to about 10 wt.% in conventional graphite/Si composite electrodes. Overcoming this threshold requires evidence-based design for the formulation of advanced electrodes. Here we combine multimodal operando imaging techniques, assisted by structural and...

The rapid growth of battery technologies is central to achieving a net-zero society, but it comes with a major bottleneck: reliable and high-throughput diagnostics to ensure cell consistency across production and reuse cycles. Existing tools like electrochemical impedance spectroscopy offer detailed insights into battery health but are too time-consuming, expensive and operationally complex for widespread...

The electrification of road transport is not in doubt. Still, its rate of adoption and the concomitant waste handling issues accompanying it are a matter of conjecture. While practical solutions have been proposed and, in some cases, trialled, the timeline for technology adoption has not been set out. Some regions have policies for dealing with...

LiFePO4 (LFP) is a popular cathode chemistry choice, evidenced by over one-third of the cathode battery market share. With its extended popularity in the automotive industry, a sustainable recycling and reuse programme needs to be developed to preserve resources. The added challenge in recycling LFP through conventional routes (pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy) resides in its low...

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are indispensable for global decarbonization, yet their production and use have multifaceted environmental, social, and supply chain impacts. This study presents a holistic sustainability assessment of LIBs, integrating prefeasibility life cycle assessment and distributional energy justice principles. The research highlights significant disparities in environmental and social outcomes by examining five case studies,...

Metal anodes hold considerable promise for high-energy-density batteries but are fundamentally limited by electrochemical irreversibility caused by uneven metal deposition and dendrite formation, which compromise battery lifespan and safety. The chaotic ion flow (or ion flux vortex) near the electrode surface, driving these instabilities, has remained elusive due to limitations in conventional techniques such as...