Operando monitoring of battery process at nanoscale

Spatial inhomogeneity and temporal evolution of electrochemical reactions significantly influence battery performance and are crucial for understanding battery mechanisms. In a recent publication in Device, Liu et al. demonstrate that diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers can be used as in situ quantum probes to monitor electrochemical reactions at the single-particle level, revealing heterogeneous reaction kinetics in the electrode. This advancement promises to enhance our understanding of battery failure mechanisms and facilitate the discovery of new chemistries for more efficient conversion of chemical energy to electricity.