Why is the performance of lithium batteries deteriorating?

Lithium-ion batteries are now widely used by mobile devices, but the battery's life span is not long. 500 charge cycles will lose about 1/5 of its capacity. In order to study the reasons for the deterioration of the performance of lithium batteries, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory used a powerful microscope to successfully observe the real-time state of lithium batteries.

The researchers found that the battery was under pressure when used and caused the electrode to rupture. In addition, each charge and discharge cycle also leaves traces of lithium outside the electrode. These "dead" lithium can no longer play a role in future charging and will cause a reduction in battery capacity. The researchers also observed the formation of solid electrolytes on the surface of the electrode, which "blocks" the battery and affects its charging ability.

To solve these problems on lithium batteries, using other alternative elements is one of the methods. In the future, metal elements such as magnesium, aluminum or copper may be a cheaper and more stable alternative, but the performance of these batteries is currently not up to the level of lithium batteries.

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