Correlating
local materials properties with global battery electrochemistry
is nontrivial, because battery particles and electrodes are heterogeneous
and defect-rich. Pinpointing the root cause of battery performance
improvement or degradation can be challenging. Herein, we discuss
our recent progress in understanding electrode heterogeneities and
structural defects in Li ion and Na ion cathodes ranging from individual
particles to electrode ensembles, with a focus on leveraging spectroscopic
imaging techniques. Based on our recent studies, this Perspective
attempts to shed light on these questions: How heterogeneous are the
electrochemical reactions within and among active particles? What
are the roles of structural defects (point defects, dislocations,
grain boundaries, cracks) in directing electrochemical reactions?
Are analytical techniques capable of characterizing these heterogeneities
with good statistical representativeness? How will the characterization
results inform better design of chemical heterogeneity, such as engineered
dopant distribution, to improve battery performance? Can we tailor
structural defects to improve battery performance? Given the prevailing
heterogeneities reported in our studies and others’, we also
discuss potential pitfalls of high-resolution data interpretation
and highlight the significance of combining characterizations at different
length scales and using advanced data analytics to improve result
robustness.