Exploring the Ultrafast Charge-Transfer and Redox Dynamics in Layered Transition Metal Oxides

Abstract

The rapid development and broad deployment of rechargeable batteries have fundamentally transformed modern society by revolutionizing the sectors of consumer electronics, transportation, and grid energy storage. Redox reactions in active battery cathode materials are ubiquitous, complicated, and functionally very important. While a lot of effort has been devoted to investigating redox heterogeneity and its progressive evolution upon prolonged battery cycling, the ultrafast dynamics in these systems are largely unexplored. In this article, we discuss the potential significance of understanding redox dynamics in battery cathodes in the ultrafast time regime. Here, we outline a conceptual experimental design for investigating the ultrafast electron transport in an industry-relevant layered transition metal oxide battery cathode using a plasma-acceleration-based X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) facility. Going beyond the proposed experiment, we provide our perspectives on the use of compact FEL sources for applied research, which, in our view, is an area of tremendous potential.