Vibrational Spectroscopy Insight into the Electrode|electrolyte Interface/Interphase in Lithium Batteries

Abstract Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) have transformed the use of mobile electronics and storage technologies. Alongside advances in materials, an in‐depth understanding of the interfacial phenomena and interphase formation mechanisms in LIBs is crucial. Interphases are widely recognized as the most important and the least understood components of LIBs and play a direct role in defining cell performance, cyclability, and safety. This article presents a review of recent developments in vibrational spectroscopy techniques of Raman, infrared, and sum‐frequency generation spectroscopies to probe the fundamental aspects of interphases on the anode and cathode of LIBs. First the vibrational spectroscopy techniques and their relevant technical considerations for interphase characterization are briefly introduced. In the next step, the latest studies on the fundamental properties, composition, and structure of interphases employing vibrational spectroscopy techniques are presented. This review focuses on in situ / operando investigations; however, post‐mortem studies are also discussed briefly.