Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy for the Study of Energy Accumulators: Principles, Equipment, and Application.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), which makes it possible to acquire the information on both the topography and local electrochemical properties of a surface, is a type of probe microscopy technique. Due to the abundance of the developed techniques, SECM makes it possible to solve a broad spectrum of problems on studying the electroactive properties of materials. SECM is of special interest for the studies in the field of energy accumulators and, in particular, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Recent advances in the study of accumulators have shown that the electrochemical properties demonstrated by materials at a macrolevel are substantially different at the microlevel. Due to their high spatial resolution, SECM methods give unique information about the processes occurring in LIBs at the micro- and nanoscales. This review is an introduction to the broad SECM sphere and is focused on the basic operational principles and examples of applications in the study of energy accumulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]