Recent progress in probing the microscopic mechanisms of key issues in energy storage batteries using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

Abstract

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), with several operation modes, is a powerful in situ spatially resolved analytical technique, playing an important role in studies of critical interfacial processes in energy devices. Here recent research progress, mainly concerning key issues, in energy storage batteries by using SECM has been systematically reviewed, including the formation and evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), metal deposition and dendrite formation dynamics, battery aging processes and mechanisms, local pH shifts, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of Li, Na, K, Mg and Zn-based batteries. Finally, current limitations and future directions for applications of SECM in energy storage batteries are outlined.