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 the recent research progress of mainly concerned key issues in energy storage batteries by using SECM has been systematically reviewed, including formation and evolution of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) and Cathode Electrolyte Interphase (CEI), metal deposition and dendrite formation dynamics, battery aging processes and mechanisms, local pH shift, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and 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.