Current energy storage technology exists at a level which is much less than what it is intrinsically capable of. Key to enabling most of this potential is the greater understanding of electrode materials. Direct observations of energy systems under real operating conditions can provide fundamental insight into the physical and chemical phenomena that underlie the operation of energy storage, which will catalyze the development of new materials and processes required for future energy storage systems. X-ray diffraction, scattering and spectroscopy are powerful tools for in-situ structural evolution study but information obtained is often spatially averaged. Electron microscopy provides high resolution structure images but with limited information in depth. Synchrotron based x-ray imaging techniques are non-destructive, sensitive to materials density, and can reveal internal structures of a specimen. When combined with the tenability of the x-ray wavelength, synchrotron based imaging is also sensitive to elemental distribution and chemical states. These techniques are ideally suited for in-situ studies of variety of materials systems. Tomography capability leads to three dimensions characterization which is critical to get full understanding of complex micro- and nano- structural information. Comprehensive quantitative analysis available by x-ray imaging plus temporal resolution and spectral imaging make this technique unique powerful in the research and development of energy materials.
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