Academic Lecture: Research on Failure Mechanisms of Solid-State Batteries

Research on Failure Mechanisms of Solid-State Batteries

Professor Huang Jianyu

June 25, 2026, 15:00

Solid-state batteries offer great promise for high energy density and enhanced safety, making them a key direction for next-generation energy storage technologies. However, they still face critical challenges during cycling, including interfacial impedance growth, lithium dendrite formation, cracking and pulverization of solid electrolytes, interfacial side reactions, and rapid capacity fading. These failure processes involve complex coupled chemo-mechanical-electrochemical interactions. To address the difficulty of in situ and high-fidelity characterization of solid–solid interfaces, advanced cryogenic sample preparation and imaging techniques have been developed, including cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB), cryo-transfer, and low-dose cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). These approaches enable nanoscale and atomic-scale observation of air-sensitive and beam-sensitive battery interfaces. The research focuses on key interfaces such as lithium metal anode/solid electrolyte and composite cathode/sulfide electrolyte systems. It reveals the intrinsic coupling between interfacial reaction layer formation, local stress accumulation, heterogeneous ion/electron transport, and structural degradation, providing microscopic insights into short circuiting, capacity decay, and limited cycle life. This work provides direct experimental evidence for understanding solid-state battery failure mechanisms and offers guidance for interface engineering, solid electrolyte design, and the development of long-life all-solid-state batteries.

Professor Huang Jianyu is a Distinguished Professor at Yanshan University, Chief Scientist at the Institute of New Energy of Xiangtan University, doctoral supervisor, nationally appointed professor, and a recipient of the State Council Special Government Allowance. He specializes in transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-based studies of nanomaterials, nanomechanics, lithium-ion batteries, and solid-state batteries, with a focus on in situ and cryo-electron microscopy techniques. He pioneered lithium batteries operable inside high-vacuum transmission electron microscopes (TEM), enabling real-time atomic-scale observation of lithium-ion battery charge–discharge processes, and establishing a new direction for in situ nanoscale electrochemical research. In recent years, he has further developed low-dose cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and other advanced characterization techniques to investigate key challenges in solid-state batteries, lithium metal anodes, and electrode/electrolyte interfaces. These methods provide insights into structural evolution, interfacial reactions, and failure mechanisms of battery materials under operating conditions, enabling a better understanding of their in-service behavior. He has published over 300 SCI papers in journals including Science, Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, and Physical Review Letters, with more than 40,000 citations and an H-index of 109. He has delivered over 100 invited talks at international conferences and is widely recognized in the field of in situ electron microscopy and energy materials characterization.

Prepared by:  Yang Tingting

Typeset by: Chen Shifa

First Review and Proofreading: Ren Luyang

Second Review and Proofreading: Ma Jiang

Third Review and Proofreading: Zheng Chun