Lithium-based lifeforms: Influence analysis of instantaneous and hysteresis performances in lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) mainly function via the processes of lithium-ion diffusion and electron transport, which can be metaphorically compared to biological functions. Just like living lifeform organisms that need particular conditions to keep homeostasis, any departure from optimal operating parameters in LIBs may result in performance degradation, safety and reliability compromise, and ultimately may lead to battery failure or even to thermal runaway. To ensure reliable operation, a thorough understanding and influence analysis of the instantaneous and hysteresis performance for LIBs under the extreme environments or operating conditions, such as mechanical extrusion, vibration, high- and low- temperatures, supergravity and microgravity, and low atmospheric pressure, is essential, which enables accurate assessment of their ability to meet energy and power demands over their whole service life. Additionally, a series of critical challenges associated with overcharge, overdischarge, and high-current (pulse) cycling can also exert an adverse impact on the LIBs, especially when these factors act either individually or in combination. Herein, this review firstly presents the concept of lithium-based lifeforms, in conjunction with the groundbreaking proposal of instantaneous and hysteresis performances to comprehensively evaluate the whole life of LIBs, which is expected to guide the design of advanced LIBs with high performance and substantially enhance the accuracy of predictive and early-warning models for batteries and modules.