(1. Materials Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi‘an 710016, China) (2. Key Laboratory of Interface Science and Engineering in Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China)
Understanding the microelectrochemical behavior, microstructure evolution and reaction mechanism of electrode materials is of great significance to explore high-performance electrochemical energy storage materials, and is expected to optimize the design of high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. By constructing a micro-battery in transmission electron microscope (TEM), the morphology, composition and microstructure evolution of electrode materials in the working state of the battery can be directly observed, which can help us understand the process and mechanism of electrode material during the conversion and storage process from the viewpoints of dynamics, and construct the relationship between microstructure and macro-performance. In this review, the recent research progress of the important materials of lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries and lithium-air batteries by using in situ TEM techniques are summarized. Finally, perspectives on future directions on the application of in situ TEM in electrochemical energy storage studies are provided. In situ TEM has important research value for understanding the electrochemical reaction behavior and mechanism of electrode materials in the working state of the battery, and has important guiding significance for understanding the failure process of the battery and designing high-performance batteries.