A next generation of lithium-ion batteries now being developed uses thin-film, solid-state technology and could soon safely power cell phones, electric vehicles, laptops, and other devices. However, like all batteries, solid-state lithium-ion batteries have a drawback: impedance-electrical resistance-can build up as batteries are discharged and recharged, limiting the flow of electric current. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), together with collaborators at Sandia National Laboratories, the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and several universities, have recently used two complementary techniques-contact potential difference measurements and neutron depth profiling (NDP)-to determine which parts of the battery contribute most to its impedance. Their work was published in the journal ACS Energy Letters and was described recently in a November 16 news release from NIST.
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