Quantifying Mass Transport during Polarization in a Li Ion Battery Electrolyte by in Situ 7Li NMR Imaging

Poor mass transport in the electrolyte of Li ion batteries causes large performance losses in high-power applications such as vehicles, and the determination of transport properties under or near operating conditions is therefore important. We demonstrate that in situ Li-7 NMR imaging in a battery electrolyte can directly capture the concentration gradients that arise when current is applied. From these, the salt diffusivity and Li+ transport number are obtained within an electrochemical transport model. Because of the temporal, spatial, and chemical resolution it can provide, NMR imaging will be a versatile tool for evaluating electrochemical systems and methods.