Cryo-Electron Microscopy

With the rapid development of technologies such as portable electronics and electrical vehicles and scalable energy storage, the batteries that provide the power need to be further improved to gain a better user experience and a larger market share. The progress of battery technology heavily depends on the in-depth characterization of electrodes, electrolytes, and interfaces. However, the precise analysis of the sensitive components is hindered due to their inherent instability nature. Cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo- EM), which enables the nondestructive characterization of sensitive materials at atomic resolution, has been applied in the energy research field recently, leading to a deeper understanding of reaction mechanisms and fundamental properties of energy storage materials. This chapter focuses on the application of Cryo-EM in analyzing the morphology, composition, and evolution of key materials and interfaces, as well as its history and workflow. It aims to demonstrate the importance of Cryo-EM in the energy-storage revolutions.