Operando infrared optical fiber spectroscopy to enter the private chemistry of Li(Na)-ion batteries – SensOLiB

The project is presented in a context where batteries are increasingly used in both the transport and power sectors. Monitoring the dynamic chemical and thermal state of a cell during operation is crucial to make meaningful advancements in battery technology in terms of safety, reliability and even sustainability.
SensOLiB will implement for the first time operando infrared optical fiber spectroscopy to the field of batteries for characterizing parasitic chemical species that form in commercial batteries under real working conditions.
The project aims at characterizing in operando the chemical species involved in the formation of the solid electrolyte interface layer (SEI) and those resulting from the electrolyte degradation in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. It also aims at studying the effect of additives on the electrolyte stability. The study will be completed by operando analysis of electrodes and gases formed upon cycling.
To do so, Mid-InfraRed Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy will be implemented in batteries using chalcogenide glass optical fibers. Silica fiber Bragg gratings will be also implanted, in complement to chalcogenide fibers. Combination of both types of fibers leads to a multiple-parameter sensor capable to deliver a complete, chemical and physical, in operando characterization of batteries all at once.
SensOLiB has the ambition to discover unexplored ways for designing new batteries with increased reliability and performance.