Scientists at Diamond Light Source mapped lithium-rich cathode grains in a 48-hour synchrotron sprint that could help UK battery makers squeeze more range from next-generation electric vehicles.
Experiment design
Teams from the Faraday Institution and Imperial College used X-ray diffraction tomography on powder samples supplied by a Coventry cathode start-up. The beamline ran continuously across a weekend shutdown window, producing three-dimensional maps of crystal domains smaller than a human hair.
Lead researcher Dr. Amira Solanki said the grains showed unexpected manganese clustering at high voltages, a clue for chemists trying to stabilise lithium-rich formulations that trade cobalt for cheaper metals.
Why the sprint format
Synchrotron time is allocated in competitive blocks. The group combined multiple scan modes—powder diffraction and pair-distribution function analysis—to avoid shipping samples to separate facilities. The approach cut calendar time from weeks to two days.
Battery firms watch such data closely because cathode chemistry dictates energy density and degradation. Even marginal improvements matter for UK automakers racing to meet corporate average CO2 rules.
Industrial partners
The Coventry supplier, which asked not to be named pre-patent filing, will use the maps to adjust sintering temperatures on its pilot line. UK Research and Innovation funded travel and beamtime through a Faraday battery challenge grant.
Diamond officials said demand for energy-materials experiments rose 30% year on year as onshoring policies bring cell factories closer to Harwell.
Next steps
Researchers will publish open-access metadata within six weeks, with proprietary cell recipes excluded. They plan a follow-up run on nickel-rich variants that dominate today’s mass-market EVs.
If the manganese clustering holds in larger samples, cathode designers may adopt dopants that even out voltage curves, reducing the software compensation currently needed in battery management systems.
Beyond EVs
Grid-storage developers are watching because lithium-rich chemistries could lower cost per kilowatt-hour for four-hour batteries. The same beamline techniques apply, though cycle-life requirements differ from automotive specs.
For UK science policy, the sprint is a small but tangible win: domestic infrastructure turning around results fast enough to influence factory decisions slated for the Midlands.
Training pipeline
Doctoral students on the beamline learned to operate detectors overnight, part of Diamond’s push to expand skilled beamline scientists. Universities said synchrotron experience helps graduates place in battery start-ups clustered around Coventry and Sunderland gigafactories.
Environmental groups asked whether faster cathode iteration could shorten lab-to-road timelines for safer chemistries, reducing reliance on cobalt mined under scrutiny.
Engineers at the Coventry start-up plan to replicate grain maps on pilot-line cells next month, comparing electrochemical performance against baseline cathodes shipped to automotive customers this quarter.
Diamond said it would open additional weekend beamtime blocks for battery proposals scoring highly on carbon-reduction potential.