Opto-charge microscopy (OCM): resolving particle dynamics in electrochemical network materials

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded Purdue University $367,582 on January 1, 2027, to develop opto-charge microscopy, an optical imaging method for observing lithium ion movement through battery electrode materials during operation. The project runs through December 31, 2029, and is performed in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The research establishes a characterization framework that integrates operando optical imaging with first-principles calculations, finite element modeling, and quantitative image analysis to map local lithium concentration and electrochemical heterogeneity in battery electrodes. The method will correlate optical signals with electronic structure calculations, electrochemical measurements, and computational modeling to create a physics-based relationship between optical response and lithium concentration, then apply the framework to investigate electrochemical dynamics in battery materials. The technique will use widely available optical equipment, making it accessible to the broader research community for studying electrochemical materials used in rechargeable batteries, catalysts, chemical manufacturing, and energy conversion systems.

The project includes interdisciplinary training for students in experimental science, computational modeling, and data analysis, along with K-12 outreach through research-inspired educational activities coordinated with Purdue programs. The work falls under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) and is classified as a Project Grant.

Abstract

Electrochemical materials are used in technologies ranging from rechargeable batteries and catalysts to chemical manufacturing and energy conversion. Their performance depends on how ions move through large networks of microscopic particles during operation, which is difficult to observe directly. As a result, engineers have a limited understanding of why materials charge unevenly, degrade over time, or fail prematurely. This project will create a new optical imaging method that will allow researchers to directly observe how lithium moves through battery materials during operation. The project will make characterization techniques more accessible to the research community, since IT will use widely available optical equipment. The resulting knowledge and measurement capability will improve understanding of electrochemical materials and support the development of more efficient, durable, and reliable energy technologies. The project will provide interdisciplinary training for students in experimental science, computational modeling, and data analysis. Outreach to k?12 students will leverage purdue programs using research-inspired educational activities. This project will establish opto-charge microscopy, an operando characterization framework for quantitatively mapping local lithium concentration and electrochemical heterogeneity in battery electrodes. The research will integrate operando optical imaging with first-principles calculations, finite element modeling, and quantitative image analysis to establish a physics-based relationship between optical response and lithium concentration. The project will first establish and validate the measurement framework by correlating optical signals with electronic structure calculations, electrochemical measurements, and computational modeling. IT will then apply the method to investigate electrochemical dynamics, chemo-mechanical coupling, reaction pathways, and degradation processes at the single-particle level. Finally, statistical analysis of large particle populations will be used to quantify the evolution of heterogeneity and relate particle-level behavior to collective electrode performance. The resulting framework will establish a broadly applicable and experimentally accessible approach for studying electrochemical network materials, providing new capabilities for understanding and designing advanced materials for energy storage and related electrochemical technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.