Scientists learn more about the first hours of a lithium-ion battery's life: New technology enables nanoscale molecular view of self-assembling gateway structure within

The first hours of a lithium-ion battery's life largely determine just how well it will perform. In those moments, a set of molecules self-assembles into a structure inside the battery that will affect the battery for years to come. Now scientists have witnessed the formation of the solid-electrolyte interphase at a molecular level.