Addressing limitations of the endpoint slippage analysis

Abstract

Some rate of oxidation and reduction side-reactions will inevitably coexist in most rechargeable batteries, contributing to reversible and irreversible self-discharge. While parasitic reduction traps electrons, parasitic oxidation donates electrons to the cells inventory and can lead to temporary capacity gain. This causes direct capacity measurements to be an unreliable source of information about the total extent of side-reactions happening in the cell. The most widely used method to determine the rate of these two types of parasitic processes involves analyzing the slippage of endpoints, which consists in tracking the termination of cell charge and discharge when data is represented along a cumulative capacity axis. Here, we argue that this approach could lead to inaccuracies when applied to certain systems, which includes Si electrodes in Li-ion batteries and hard carbon in Na-ion batteries. We analyze this issue in quantitative terms and propose equations that can provide true rates of parasitic processes from experimental endpoint slippage data. This work shows that, in battery science, well-established analytical approaches may not be directly transferrable to new electrode systems.