Achieving long-term stability and consistent capacity in lithium (Li) metal batteries with sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) cathodes requires precisely engineered electrolytes to optimize interphase formation and redox reversibility. This study presents 1,1-difluoro-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane (DFE)-based localized high-concentration electrolytes (LHCEs), incorporating fluorinated components such as salt, solvating solvent, and diluent for improved electrode stability. Molecular dynamics simulations and surface analyses reveal that the DFE-LHCE with 1,2-bis(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)ethane (BTFEE) diluent produces uniform and robust interphase layers on both cathode and anode, enriched with inorganic species like LiF and Li2O. These properties lead to prolonged redox reversibility of the SPAN cathode, suppressed side reactions, and extended cycle life for Li||SPAN cells. Remarkably, DFE-BTFEE-LHCE enables Li||SPAN coin cells with an areal capacity of similar to 7 mAh cm-2 for SPAN to retain 81.3% capacity after 200 cycles and pouch cells of 0.12 Ah with 8 mAh cm-2 of SPAN and lean electrolyte to maintain 96.4% capacity over 80 cycles. These findings pave the way for advancing Li||SPAN battery technologies.

Operating Li-S batteries at low temperatures necessitates the initial stripping of the lithium anode. In this paper, we demonstrate that stripping lithium metal at low temperatures leads to the formation of faceted lithium crystals which regulate subsequent deposition as an extrusion-based process. At 25 degrees C, subsequent growth features polycrystalline lithium structures growing from the bottom of the pits. At -20 degrees C, the extruded lithium needles form a nanoporous structure after cycling, while the pores formed at 25 degrees C are much larger. By shrinking the length scale of the cycled morphology at -20 degrees C, the compressibility of the cycled interface decreases and the response to applied pressure is reduced. In contrast, at 25 degrees C, the larger length scale of the cycled morphology creates a minimum of ideal pressure. Low temperature stripping thus fundamentally changes the growth mode and the optimal pressure needed to extend the cycle life of lithium metal anodes.

All-solid-state Li-S and Na-S batteries (ASSSBs) employing highly conductive sulfide solid electrolytes combine high energy density with improved safety by enforcing solid-solid sulfur conversion and eliminating polysulfide shuttling. However, sulfide electrolytes possess narrow electrochemical stability windows, while sulfur's low conductivity, sluggish redox kinetics, and similar to 80% volume change further challenge high-loading (>30 wt.% S, or > 3 mg cm(-2)) operation under practical stack pressures. This perspective adopts an intrinsic chemical framework to dissect sulfur conversion in ASSSBs, emphasizing the coupled chemistry of sulfur, conductive carbon, and sulfide electrolytes during both fabrication and cycling. Sulfur redox pathways in liquid versus solid-state systems are compared, followed by an analysis of electrolyte stability, S/electrolyte interactions, and interphase evolution. The differences in redox pathways for Li-S vs Na-S are discussed. Strategies to enhance sulfur reactivity and to tailor electrolyte behavior are then evaluated, culminating in design principles for high-loading, low-pressure ASSSBs capable of meeting practical performance targets.

Nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) is a commonly used substrate in constructing thin-film solid oxide fuel cells (TF-SOFCs). Anodic current collection on this insulating substrate is inefficient-particularly for large-area cells-negatively impacting cell scaleup and multi-cell stacking for practical applications. In this study, a process based on electroless plating of Ni was developed to conformally coat the AAO substrate. Plating temperature, plating duration, and ultrasonicationbased stirring were optimized to achieve high conductivity and gas permeability within the high-aspect-ratio AAO. By using this conformally coated, conductive porous substrate, we successfully fabricated and operated TF-SOFCs with active areas of 0.5 & times; 0.5 cm2 and 1 & times; 1 cm2. With the addition of a conformal conductive layer, the large-area Ni-coated AAO cell achieved a higher peak power density of 510 mW/cm2 compared to 390 mW/cm2 for the bare AAO cell via reductions in both the ohmic and anode polarization resistances. Successful conformal metallization of nanoporous AAO in this study demonstrates that it is a promising approach to produce conductive oxide-based substrates for TF-SOFCs.

This study investigates the performance and durability at reduced temperatures (<= 600 degrees C) of thin-film solid oxide fuel cells (TF-SOFCs) fabricated by sputtering technique. The fabricated TF-SOFC featured a nickelgadolinium doped ceria (Ni-GDC) anode, a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte, a GDC interlayer, and a lanthanum strontium cobalt perovskite-GDC (LSC-GDC) cathode, deposited on an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate at an elevated substrate temperature (300 degrees C). The cell achieved a superior peak power density of 950 mW/cm2 with a polarization area specific resistance of 0.152 S2 cm2 at 600 degrees C using hydrogen fuel and air oxidant. The durability of fabricated cell was tested for 600 h at 600 degrees C, exhibiting a projected degradation rate (based on curve fitting of the experimental data) of 2.71 % per thousand hours (kh) during 1000 h of operation. A combination of voltage-time, current density-voltage-power density (I-V-P), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), distribution of relaxation time (DRT), and microstructural examinations was employed to investigate the primary contributors to cell degradation. The observed degradation was primarily driven by electrode reactions at the anode for this type of TF-SOFC.

Anode-less solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (SSLSBs) with lithium sulfide (Li2S) as the cathode promise a high energy density and ease of manufacturing. However, Li2S is plagued by poor conductivity, sluggish activation kinetics, and a poor cycle life. Here, we report an FeCl3-activated Li2S (FLS) cathode with solid-state polysulfide intermediates generated through a redox reaction between FeCl3 and Li2S. This strategy is shown to boost the electrical conductivity of Li2S by 7 orders of magnitude and lower the activation barrier. During cycling, Fe plays a significant role in stabilizing the highly active polysulfide species, contributing to the exceptional electrochemical performance. The FLS cathode achieves 80% capacity retention over 500 cycles with >99% Li2S utilization. Furthermore, a Li-metal-free (anode-less) full cell retained over 80% of its initial capacity after 240 cycles. This work underscores the promise of leveraging Fe-stabilized polysulfides in enabling high-energy, long-lasting, solid-state Li-S batteries.

Non-destructive in-operando techniques provide unique insights into electrochemical processes. In this work, we apply a recently introduced operando acoustic technique, acoustic impedance spectroscopy (AIS), to Li metal batteries. AIS measures the acoustic resonances of a battery, which directly probes the mechanical properties of the system. During cycling, these resonances shift in frequency due to fluctuations in the mechanical properties of the Li metal caused by porous plating and stripping. Furthermore, we show that these mechanical changes evolve over extended cycling due to a transition from laterally homogeneous Li growth to laterally inhomogeneous Li growth. Finally, we introduce a quantification of this evolution known as a "symmetry score" and demonstrate the repeatability of this measurement over various current densities and cell chemistries. A decrease in the symmetry score accompanies the degradation of lithium metal morphology and stability. This value, just like the commonly used coulombic efficiency, can be used to characterize the health of a lithium metal battery.

The sharply declined proton conductivity of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) at low relative humidity (RH) severely constricts the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, we develop a composite PEM using plasma-treated Prussian blue analogue (PBA) with well-linked lattice water to address this challenge. The plasma treatment generates more defect-sites of cyano-group in PBA, which accommodates tunable ligand-water, better linking the adjacent zeolitic-water to form a continuous hydrogen-bonding-network for Grotthuss proton conduction. Therefore, the PBA composite PEM achieves a proton conductivity of 102.9 mS cm−1 in water at 80 °C, and maintains 7.5 mS cm−1 at 25% RH, with much reduced conduction activation energy. In PEMFC operated at 80 °C, the composite PEM delivers power densities of 707.7 mW cm−2 and 338.0 mW cm−2 at 100% RH and 25% RH, respectively.

Ni-rich NMC811 layered oxide cathodes are promising candidates for high-energy lithium-ion batteries; however, their practical application under fast-charging conditions is limited by interfacial instability, oxygen release, and slow Li+ diffusion. In this work, calcium titanate CaTiO3 (CTO) was introduced as a perovskite-based surface coating to enhance the structural and electrochemical stability of Ni-rich NMC811 cathodes. Structural and interfacial analyses reveal the formation of a crystalline CTO coating that preserved the layered R3̅m structure and induced slight Ti doping during the thermal treatment. The synergistic effect of the CTO coating and interfacial Ti incorporation reduces Li+/Ni2+ cation mixing, strengthens transition metal-oxygen bonding, and stabilizes lattice oxygen, thereby mitigating oxygen release and suppressing the detrimental H2 → H3 phase transition at high states of charge. As a result, the CTO coating demonstrates a notable performance enhancement, enabling the NMC811@CTO cathode to deliver a higher initial discharge capacity (200.2 mAh g-1), improved first-cycle Coulombic efficiency (92.0%), and markedly superior rate capability, retaining 158.3 mAh g-1 at 4C, while during asymmetric fast-charging up to 6C, it maintains 166.2 mAh g-1 compared to 130.8 mAh g-1 for pristine NMC811 and recovered 99.8% of its capacity when returned to C/10. These results highlight the enhanced fast-charging capability enabled by improved interfacial kinetics and structural stability. Long-term cycling at 1C further confirms improved stability, with NMC811@CTO retaining 83.1% of its capacity after 200 cycles compared to 64.1% for pristine NMC811. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry analyses reveal reduced charge-transfer resistance, improved thermal stability, and lower heat release. Density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations further show increased oxygen vacancy formation energy and reduced Li+ migration barriers, providing atomic-scale insight into the enhanced oxygen stability and Li+ transport. Overall, the CTO layer acts as both a protective interface and an ion-transport facilitator, offering an effective strategy for stabilizing Ni-rich cathodes under fast-charging conditions.

The polymerization methodologies hold critical importance in fabricating high-quality gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) for solid-state batteries. This work introduces a plasma-activated instantaneous polymerization strategy for the synthesis of initiator-free poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)-based GPEs within seconds. The N radicals produced by N2 plasma can efficiently initiate the polymerization of PEGDA monomers without requiring chemical initiators. Notably, the plasma-derived GPEs (N-GPEs) exhibit superior ionic conductivity (0.69 × 10-3 S cm-1) compared to thermally polymerized counterparts (0.42 × 10-3 S cm-1), due to the formation of optimized ion-conduction pathways. Remarkably, this initiator-free synthetic protocol demonstrates dual interfacial advantages, not only on suppression of initiator-induced side reactions at lithium metal anodes but also formation of a Li3N-enriched solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) through reactive nitrogen species, collectively enhancing the interfacial stability and ion transport kinetics. Electrochemical evaluations demonstrate that symmetric Li||Li cells with N-GPEs show stable cycling over 1600 h with minimal polarization (21 mV at 0.1 mA cm-2). When integrated into Li||LiFePO4 full cells, the system achieves 96.3% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.5 C, which is much better than the counterpart. This plasma-enabled polymerization technology establishes a paradigm shift in fabrication of polymer electrolyte, offering a rapid and energy-efficient route to high-performance GPEs for energy storage.

Tailoring the closed-pore structure of hard carbon is critical to boosting the low-voltage plateau capacity, thereby raising the energy density of full sodium-ion batteries. However, conventional chemical vapor deposition typically follows an “outside-in” gas-transport pathway, in which carbon preferentially deposits at pore entrances, resulting in premature pore blockage and inefficient internal modification. Herein, we propose an “inside-out” pore-conversion strategy to transform open pores into closed pores. Lignin is employed as a liquid-phase carbon source for pore filling. It is depolymerized into oligomeric fragments bearing phenolic and aldehyde groups with sizes of 0.4–2 nm, which can preferentially infiltrate the internally accessible open-pore network of commercial activated carbon. The in situ carbonization that follows promotes the closure of these open pores from the interior, enabling the controllable construction of closed pores. The optimized LHC-20% sample exhibits an appropriate interlayer spacing of 0.396 nm and abundant ultramicropores of 0.45–0.75 nm, delivering a high reversible capacity of 335.6 mAh g−1 and increasing the initial Coulombic efficiency from 81.5% to 90.0%. Moreover, it retains 145.3 mAh g−1 at 5C and achieves 305 mAh g−1 at −10 °C. Herein, we report an eco-compatible, readily upscalable, and precisely tunable approach for tailoring closed-pore architectures, which unlocks exceptional electrochemical performance for advanced hard carbon anodes in sodium-ion battery systems.

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are increasingly becoming commercially viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), driven by sodium’s lower cost and greater resource availability. However, current NIB technology still falls short of established LIB systems, such as those based on LiFePO4, in both cost efficiency and energy density. Although since the early 2020s, industrial advances have raised NIB energy densities to around 175 Wh kg−1, performance remains limited by the relatively low specific capacity (typically 200–350 mAh g−1) and low tap density (0.3–1.0 g cm−3) of the prevailing hard carbon anodes. This Review analyses emerging anode materials that could unlock higher-energy and lower-cost NIBs, with a focus on high-capacity hard carbon and alloy-based systems. We discuss the latest progress, fundamental challenges and future directions in these anode materials across the key themes of electrode design, structure–property engineering and characterization. By offering forward-looking insights into the rational design and optimization of anode materials, this Review aims to accelerate the research and development of commercially viable NIBs and support the broader advancement of energy storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries are promising low-cost alternatives to lithium-ion systems yet limited by underperforming anodes. This Review highlights advances and challenges in hard carbon and alloy-based anodes, outlining design strategies to boost capacity, stability and commercial viability of next-generation high-energy sodium-ion batteries.

Direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries aims to retain and restore cathode active materials, but metallic copper (Cu) impurities introduced during mechanical pretreatment remain difficult to remove and can severely degrade cell safety and durability. Here, we show that Cu persists in cathode black mass during physical separation using froth floatation even when Cu surface is made hydrophilic while the cathode mix is hydrophobic. Oxygen- or sulfonate-containing surface groups promote strong interfacial adhesion among Cu debris, graphite, and layered oxides, causing Cu to co-float with hydrophobic particles. To overcome this limitation, we demonstrate that alkaline hydrothermal treatment converts metallic Cu into soluble hydroxo-complexes while preserving the layered structure of oxide cathode. Experiments with intentionally added Cu (0.2–2 wt%) show removal efficiencies up to ~80% at ~1 wt% Cu, with no detectable Cu-containing crystalline phases after treatment. Regenerated LiNi0.866Mn0.066Co0.05Al0.018O2 (NCMA) cathodes exhibit minimal structural change at initial Cu loading of ≤1 wt% and deliver stable cycling at 40 °C in both half-cells and full cells, indicative of minimal effect of any residual copper. The NCMA∥Gr full cells retain more than 95% of their initial capacity after 100 cycles. These results establish alkaline hydrothermal purification as a chemically selective and structure-compatible approach for mitigating Cu contamination in direct recycling, while highlighting the crucial role of interfacial chemistry in governing impurity behavior within mixed black mass.

ABSTRACT Halide solid‐state electrolytes (HSSEs) have gained significant attention as key components for all‐solid‐state lithium ion batteries due to their notable advantages, including high ionic conductivity (> 1 mS cm−1), wide electrochemical window (> 4 V vs. Li/Li⁺), and good compatibility with high‐voltage cathodes. Despite progress, major challenges such as ionic conductivity, air stability, and interface compatibility still remain. This review systematically summarizes their representative classifications (e.g., Lia‐M‐X8, Lia‐M‐X6, Lia‐M‐X4, LiaMbOcXd, M = In, Y, Al…; X = Cl, F, Br…), synthesis methods (e.g., solid phase, liquid phase, gas phase), and ion conduction mechanisms (e.g., vacancy‐driven transport). The merits and demerits of different synthesis methods are analyzed, and the factors affecting ion conductivity are also discussed. Moreover, various modification strategies (e.g., structure optimization, doping, and surface coating) are analyzed to address the above issues. Meanwhile, research guidelines for developing advanced HSSEs are also proposed. Additionally, we provide a systematic outlook on HSSEs in terms of novel synthesis methods and interface modification technologies (such as plasma and supercritical fluid technologies), high‐precision characterization methods for interface components (such as solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance), artificial intelligence (AI)‐assisted mechanism analysis, and material synthesis. This review offers new research insights into the design and development of advanced solid‐state electrolytes for energy storage.

Iron fluoride (FeF3)-based cathodes paired with lithium (Li) metal anodes offer a promising chemistry for highenergy, cost-effective batteries. However, degradations driven by each electrode's instability as well as their crosstalk have plagued their development. Herein, we study the behavior of a co-doped version, Fe0.9Co0.1OF (FCOF), in four compositionally distinct electrolytes under a demanding calendar life test protocol: 45 degrees C for one month. Our results revealed that stabilizing both cathode and anode electrolyte interphases (CEI and SEI) is essential for mitigating both reversible and irreversible losses. We found that a robust CEI can suppress Fe3+ reduction and dissolution, while a stabilized SEI on the Li metal minimizes Fe re-deposition and promotes uniform Li plating. An ideal electrolyte is then tasked to address both interfaces simultaneously. In this regard, we identified a localized high-concentration electrolyte (LHCE) that exhibited favorable interfacial compatibility, mitigating crosstalk-induced degradation. FCOF delivered a discharge capacity of 497 mAh g-1 and demonstrated excellent calendar-life resilience, with less than 5.8% energy loss after one month at 45 degrees C. These results highlight the importance of electrolyte-driven dual interfacial stabilization as a key strategy for realizing the practical viability of high-energy FeF3-Li metal batteries.

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) represent the ultimate solution to mankind's quest for the Holy Grail of batteries, where the cell-level energy density is maximized on the assumption that lithium (Li0) must be fully utilized with near 100% Coulombic efficiency. Although substantial progress has been made since the anode-free concept was first proposed, the challenges presented by the most powerful anode material that can be found on the periodic table still remain unresolved due to its extreme reactive nature, which not only makes it impossible to retain 100% reversibility but also induces inhomogeneity during repeated plating/stripping cycles and persistent capacity loss over a long period of time. The isolated study approaches, emphasizing either individual electrolyte components or interphasial chemistry engineering, but mostly focused on the negative-electrode current collector, hinder insight into issues arising when these components are assembled into cells and forced to interface with each other. In this review, we attempt to examine this high-dimensional topic from a panoramic perspective, with the focus placed on the liquid electrolytes. We first outline the fundamental operating principles of key individual battery components, together with practical perspectives for evaluating lithium utilization and reversibility in AFLMBs. We then discuss how these components interact when assembled into full cells, how such interactions give rise to heterogeneous electrochemical and mechanical behaviors, and how these phenomena can be characterized and regulated. It is also outlined that a hierarchical perspective on lithium behavior, spanning from the nano- to cell-scale, is essential to enable plating, stripping, and recovery in AFLMBs. Finally, we present perspectives from leading researchers actively working on the various elements that constitute AFLMBs and integrate these viewpoints to clarify the future research directions of this field. By providing a system-level framework for understanding AFLMBs, this review aims to guide future research efforts and contribute to addressing the broader challenges of sustainable energy storage.

Carbon fibres (CFs) are indispensable for lightweight structural engineering, yet their widespread adoption is stifled by the high cost and environmental toll of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursors. While substituting PAN with low-footprint alternatives such as lignin or carbon black reduces emissions, the resulting fibres typically suffer from mechanical degradation caused by poorly integrated fillers. Here we report an electrified carbon-fibre upgrading strategy that transforms low-cost, carbon-black-loaded PAN precursors into high-performance CFs by incorporating methane (CH4)-derived carbon. By using a porous, aligned fibril network as a Joule-heating element, we achieve rapid, high-temperature pyrolysis at 1,700 K that drives CH4 diffusion and densification of the internal microstructure. The resulting upgraded carbon fibres, comprising similar to 50 wt% CH4-derived carbon, exhibit a tensile strength of 1.7 GPa and a modulus of 173 GPa. This electrified synthesis simultaneously slashes production costs to similar to US$13.52 kg(CF)(-1) and carbon footprints to similar to 22.39 kg(CO2) kg(CF)(-1), offering a commercially viable pathway for high-volume industries such as automotive manufacturing. Our findings establish a circular carbon economy model that converts greenhouse gases into high-value structural materials while yielding hydrogen as a clean coproduct.

Amorphous polymeric sulfur cathodes, such as sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), enable high-energy lithium–sulfur batteries without cobalt or nickel, leveraging abundant sulfur. However, the limited in situ understanding of their synthesis and electrochemistry has impeded targeted optimization. Here we integrate operando high-energy total scattering with sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy to monitor SPAN’s formation and cycling in real time. Our results show that S–C bond formation halts further fusion of cyclized polyacrylonitrile, fostering π–π stacking and a transition from long-chain to short-chain sulfur—critical for reversible sulfur redox. These features synergistically minimize polysulfide dissolution and charge-transfer resistance, enabling optimized SPAN to achieve high capacity retention over 1,000 cycles. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that residual protons drive thiol–thione tautomerism, with lithium replacement during the first discharge causing 20

Lubricant-infused surfaces (LIS) provide an attractive strategy for integrating corrosion resistance with lubrication, yet their long-term durability is limited by the competing requirements of lubricant accommodation and structural protection within a single porous layer. Here, we develop a functionally decoupled bilayer sepiolite (Sep)-based LIS, in which a compact Sep/epoxy underlayer provides substrate adhesion, structural support, and corrosion-barrier protection, while a fluorinated porous Sep top layer is dedicated to lubricant hosting. This spatial separation enables the lubricant-mediated interface to remain effective without compromising the integrity of the underlying barrier. As a result, the LIS maintains a low-frequency impedance modulus close to 10⁹ Ω·cm² after 7 days of dynamically disturbed saline immersion, whereas the corresponding superhydrophobic coating decreases by nearly four orders of magnitude. Under dry sliding, the LIS exhibits a low friction coefficient (0.285) and a wear rate of 3.95 × 10⁻⁵ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹. During 60 days of saline immersion, visible corrosion is substantially suppressed compared with the superhydrophobic counterpart. These results demonstrate that architectural functional separation is an effective strategy for improving the durability of lubricant-infused protective coatings.

For higher energy density batteries, lithium metal anodes represent an opportunity to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, with approximately ten times the theoretical capacity of graphite anodes. However, cells with lithium metal electrodes can have catastrophic outcomes if lithium morphology becomes irregular and non-uniform, resulting in dendrite formation and short-circuiting events. In order to overcome this challenge, we must develop metrics to quantitatively describe lithium morphology. Typical electrochemical methods measure ensemble behavior of Li plating and stripping within batteries, but they lack critical details about Li morphology. To enable more local characterization of morphology, which is essential for identifying point failures, imaging techniques are used. By leveraging imaging techniques, foundational works have illustrated how Li morphology influences cell lifetime and cycling efficiency. Despite the power of these techniques, the lack of a robust and quantitative metric has constrained how much we can reliably learn from them. Typical approaches to assessing uniformity rely on subjective comparisons of a small number of microscopy images, making subjective correlations to electrochemical behavior. In this work, we outline an accessible method for quantitatively measuring the uniformity of lithium plating through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. This method determines an index of dispersion ( ID ), which quantifies whether the distribution of lithium is clustered or dispersed compared to a standard statistical model. We address experimental considerations, by standardizing variables such as image magnification and image contrast to enhance reproducibility. We confirm the robustness of the ID metric through a study investigating lithium deposition at different capacities and find the ID is highly sensitive to variations in deposition uniformity, including the coexistence and uniformity of multiple morphologies, uniformity within a single morphology, and particle size distribution uniformity. By imaging cells throughout their cycle life, we are able to examine how morphology evolves via the ID , a quantitative metric . In analyzing the relationship between cycle life and Li morphology, we find that uniformity, as measured by the ID , can be related to the average potential of Li||Li symmetric cells over cycling. Within different capacity conditions, higher capacity cycling leads to more pronounced changes in both ID and average cell potential. We observe local minima/maxima in both ID and average cell potential immediately before cells short-circuit, which we suggest may indicate a collapse of the microstructure prior to failure. This approach not only provides insights into cell failure through the ID metric but also allows for a more precise, quantitative analysis of Li morphology. Tracking how Li morphology evolves over time is crucial for understanding degradation, predicting battery lifespan, and optimizing cycling protocols, ultimately helping advance these technologies toward commercialization.