Nanoscale Electrical Degradation of Silicon-Carbon Composite Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

High-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are in increasing demand for a variety of applications in rapidly growing energy-related fields including electric vehicles. To develop high-performance LIBs, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the degradation mechanism of the LIB electrodes. From this viewpoint, it is crucial to investigate how the electrical properties of LIB electrodes change under charging and discharging. Here, we probe the local electrical properties of LIB electrodes with nanoscale resolution by scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM). Via quantitative and comparative SSRM measurements on pristine and degraded LIB anodes of Si-C composites blended with graphite (Gr) particles, the electrical degradation of the LIB anodes is visualized. The electrical conductivity of the Si-C composite particles considerably degraded over 300 cycles of charging and discharging, whereas the Gr particles maintained their conductivity.