IEST Single Particle Electrochemical Performance Testing System(SPEC Series)

Introduction: The Single Particle Electrochemical Performance Testing System delivers high-quality operando optical imaging captures the internal dynamic reaction processes of real battery systems at a resolution approaching the optical diffraction limit. Ultra-long-term continuous and stable acquisition ensures quantitative comparability of test data over days-long charge/discharge cycling experiments. The system is compatible with a wide range of electrochemical performance tests, covering reaction activity, kinetic constants, phase-transition potentials, rate capability, spatial heterogeneity distribution, and more — delivering multi-dimensional metrics with a single instrument.

Features:

  • Optical-Electrochemical Synchronization: Combines a sample-displacement control system and a sample electrochemical cell with a microscopic imaging system to record real-time optical intensity changes.
  • High-Throughput Tracking: Observes and compares the electrochemical activity of multiple particles simultaneously, overcoming the statistical limitations of isolated single-particle methods.
  • High-Resolution Imaging: Equipped with a 40× magnification objective lens, delivering a single-particle resolution of > 375 nm within a 312 × 250 μm field of view.
  • In-Situ Optical-Electrochemical Correlation: Synchronizes electrical modulation with time-lapsed optical imaging (up to < 1 Hz frame rate), allowing direct visualization of particle-level activity changes, phase transitions, and capacity-fading dynamics.
  • Advanced Visual Mapping: Generates statistical activity results, spatial distribution maps, and normalized-capacity heatmaps to clearly visualize gradual fading, sudden capacity drops, and inactive areas at the particle level.
  • Customizable Optical Source: Utilizes a tunable light source in the 400–700 nm visible range, adaptable to different active material systems for optimal optical contrast.

Application:

  • Lithium and sodium cathode/anode single particles (Ni80, LCO, Graphite, etc.)
  • Battery failure analysis (monitoring spatial heterogeneity, gradual capacity fading, and sudden particle-level drops)
  • High-throughput battery material screening (simultaneous comparison of particle rate-performance and phase-transition potentials)
  • Phase-transition mechanism studies (such as resolving lithiation modes and constructing phase maps)
  • Intrinsic particle-level battery modeling data calibration

Description

1. Introduction

  • To investigate the true, intrinsic performance of active battery materials, eliminating the complex variables introduced by downstream electrode manufacturing processes is essential. Consequently, precision single particle electrochemical analysis has become a critical requirement across advanced laboratory workflows.

  • Conducting robust single particle electrochemical characterization serves three primary purposes:

Core application purposes of the SPEC series single-particle characterization platform: battery modeling, battery failure analysis, and high-throughput material screening.

Limitations of Traditional Single-Particle Methods

While isolating single particles is highly valuable, legacy micro-electrode and micromanipulator approaches suffer from severe bottlenecks:

  • Low Throughput: Only a few particles can be isolated and measured sequentially, making full statistical mapping nearly impossible.
  • Poor Statistical Relevance: The electrochemical behavior of a single, isolated particle is highly vulnerable to outliers and fails to accurately represent the bulk material.

Close-up microscopic evaluation of an isolated single battery active material particle under a 3-micrometer scale bar to identify particle-level properties.

2. Innovative Solution: In-Situ Optical-Electrochemical Mapping

To resolve the compromises of traditional techniques, the IEST SPEC series introduces an innovative in-situ optical monitoring solution. By utilizing high-resolution optical imaging on customized monolayer-particle coin cells, the system tracks real-time optical and electrochemical signals from hundreds of individual particles synchronously. This effectively bridges the gap between single-grain localized kinetics and bulk material statistical relevance, establishing a new standard for high-throughput single particle electrochemical evaluation.

Operational principle and system schematic of the IEST single-particle electrochemical testing system, highlighting optical cell components and monolayer assembly sequence.

Applications

1. Single-Particle Level Activity Distribution

Statistical activity results and spatial distribution tracking maps of single-particle electrochemical activity on Ni80 and LCO cathode materials.

  • Coin cells with monolayer particle electrodes are assembled.

  • During cycling, optical-intensity curves from multiple particles are compared with the average curve to define the active-particle yield.

2. Ni80 Particle Level Long-Cycle Capacity-Fade Analysis

Single-particle long-cycle capacity fade analysis displaying particle tracking over 268 cycles alongside normalized-capacity and relative inactive-area heatmaps.

  • The optical-intensity variation of individual particles decreases markedly with battery cycling, which is correlated with capacity fading.

  • Batch analysis of optical signals from multiple particles can support cell failure analysis.

  • Capacity plunge behavior during extended cycling is distinctly observed even at the single-particle scale.

Localized single particle battery failure analysis, trace the positive response loss to isolate the primary failure zone in the internal of active particle.

  • Spatial heterogeneity of capacity fading and plunge behavior at the single-particle scale.

3. Graphite Phase-Transition Mechanism Study

Graphite phase-transition mechanism study mapping phase transformation spatial distribution and normalized optical intensity changes during battery lithiation stages.

  • Graphite particles exhibit a “Stochastic nucleation- Confined propagation” mode during graphite lithiation.

  • Spatially resolved mechanism.

4. High-Throughput Material Screening

High-throughput battery material screening using the IEST SPEC1000 system, comparing particle rate-performance maps and phase-transition potential results across artificial and natural graphite variants.

  • Utilizing a multi-sample particle spotting pattern allows for synchronized comparative observation of electrochemical activity across distinct particle cohorts.

Specifications

Model SPECT1000
Single-particle resolution > 375 nm
Image acquisition frame rate < 1 Hz
Field of view 312 × 250 μm
Magnification 40×
Light-source wavelength 400-700 nm

Download

IEST Single Particle Electrochemical Performance Testing System

Contact Us

Please fill out the form below and we will contact you asap!

IEST Wechat QR code