Hard X-rays in–soft X-rays out: An operando piggyback view deep into a charging lithium ion battery with X-ray Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

For lithium intercalation battery electrodes, understanding of the electronic structure of bulk and surface is essential for their operation and functionality. Soft X-rays are excellent probes for such electronic structure information, but soft X-rays are predominantly surface sensitive and thus cannot probe the bulk. Moreover, soft X-rays hardly permit meaningful in situ and operando studies in battery assemblies. We show here how we penetrate with hard X-rays (>10keV) in situ a lithium cell, containing a manganite-based cathode. Through X-ray Raman spectroscopy we extract the Mn 2p multiplet from the entire cathode material, thus obtaining bulk-sensitive electronic structure information during battery charging and discharging.