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Application Spotlight
Charge up your research on Batteries
Our technology enables you to utilize a label‑free, high‑speed optical method that detects and tracks individual nanoparticles via the interaction of light scattered by the particle and other photons emerging from the sample. This enables single‑particle sensitivity down to a few nanometers, with millisecond temporal resolution—ideal for observing fast, rare, or transient events that ensemble methods average out.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Battery performance hinges on nanoscale dynamics at electrode/electrolyte interfaces. We help to reveal mechanisms that drive capacity fade and safety risks—Li plating/stripping, dendrite nucleation, SEI formation/dissolution, transition‑metal dissolution, particle cracking, and binder detachment—as they happen, one particle at a time.
Lithium plating & dendrites
Visualize nucleation sites, growth kinetics, and morphological transitions during charge/discharge. Distinguish reversible stripping from irreversible deposit formation and quantify critical current density at the single‑site level.
SEI (Solid Electrolyte Interphase) dynamics
Track SEI nucleation fronts, thickness fluctuations, and heterogeneity across particles; correlate local SEI behavior with subsequent Coulombic efficiency and gas‑evolution signatures.
Cathode degradation
Observe transition‑metal (e.g., Mn, Ni, Co) dissolution events, particle detachment, and fracture initiation on NMC/NCA and high‑Ni materials under realistic cycling and temperature conditions.
Additives & electrolyte screening
Compare film‑forming additives, salts, and solvents by directly measuring their impact on interphase stability, nucleation overpotential, and single‑particle residence times at reactive hot spots.
Solid‑state & beyond‑Li
Map ion‑transport bottlenecks and interfacial contact loss in solid‑state cells; extend to Na‑ion, Zn‑ion, and Li–S systems thanks to iSCAT’s label‑free contrast.
KPIs & deliverables
- Per‑site nucleation density and induction time distributions
- Growth/stripping rates and roughness evolution
- SEI build‑up/decay kinetics and heterogeneity maps
- Failure precursor detection (rare events, hot spots)
- Responder vs. non‑responder particle segmentation
- Materials R&D: fast ranking of electrolytes, additives, coatings, and particle morphologies by mechanism, not just macro cycling data.
- Cell engineering: optimize formation protocols and C‑rates by pinpointing plating thresholds and SEI stabilization windows.
- Quality & reliability: detect lot‑to‑lot variability and identify rare defect populations that dominate warranty risk.
- Failure analysis: visualize root causes post‑mortem—or, better, catch them operando before they propagate.
- Label‑free & non‑destructive: no dyes, no tags—native electrochemistry preserved.
- Single‑particle resolution: resolves minority and stochastic behaviors that govern lifetime and safety.
- High throughput: thousands of particles per field of view; robust statistics within minutes.
- Operando ready: measure under realistic electrolyte, potential, and temperature conditions.
- Correlative workflows: complement electrochemistry, AFM/SEM/TEM, Raman/IR, and XRD for full‑stack insight.
- Chemistries: Li‑ion, Na‑ion, Zn‑ion, Li–S, solid‑state.
- Materials: graphite, SiOx/Si, LCO/NMC/NCA/LMO/LFP, lithium metal; carbon/binder systems.
- Environments: temperature control, water/air‑free handling, flow, and pulsed‑potential protocols.
Is it quantitative?
- Yes—intensity is proportional to polarizability. This enables relative sizing, growth rates, and per‑site kinetics; calibration options available for absolute sizing under defined conditions.
Field of view vs. resolution?
- Wide fields (103 – 104 particles) with sub‑diffraction localization; millisecond‑scale temporal sampling for fast transients.
Can we correlate with electrochemistry?
- Absolutely—synchronize with galvanostatic or potentiostatic protocols and external sensors.