Capturing metastable structures during high-rate cycling of LiFePO 4 nanoparticle electrodes

Watching battery materials in action When batteries get rapidly charged and discharged repeatedly, they will often stop working. This is especially true when the cycling changes the crystal structure of the battery components. Liu et al. examined the structural changes in components of a type of lithium battery (see the Perspective by Owen and Hector). Their findings explain why LiFePO 4 delivers unexpectedly good electrochemical performances, particularly during rapid cycling. Science , this issue p. 10.1126/science.1252817 ; see also p. 1451