Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction measurements and the associated phase retrieval in order to image cathode materials under operando conditions are described in detail. Experiments with a sodium-ion cathode material at the 34-ID-C beamline at the Advance Photon Source are demonstrated.

This paper describes the design and use of a custom battery for operando neutron powder diffraction, providing guidance for researchers studying the phase evolution and structure of electrode materials using this approach. Example studies and results are given.

An operando setup that enables deep insights into the working mechanisms of electrode materials under working conditions using quasi-simultaneous X-ray diffraction, XANES and EXAFS analysis is described.

An electrochemical cell design for in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction which provides an order of magnitude signal enhancement over traditional cell designs is presented. Various examples illustrate improved diffraction signal and cell operation.

Full-field hyperspectral X-ray absorption spectroscopy imaging implemented at a quick-EXAFS beamline offers the capability to add micrometre-scale information to second time resolution for operando monitoring of functional materials under process conditions.

A new three-electrode battery cell designed for synchrotron techniques, allowing operation in both transmission and reflection geometry, has been tested and demonstrated.

The implementation of synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography for non-destructive visualization of the internal microstructure of a human cochlea inserted with a highly absorbing cochlear implant electrode array is presented.

This article provides a demonstration of tools for operando pair distribution function analysis of nanocrystalline functional materials. The particular case used is 3 nm TiO₂-bronze nanocrystals as active electrode material in a Li-ion battery.

In situ neutron diffraction is demonstrated as a suitable technique to track phase evolution during synthesis of layered oxide compounds. The synthesis of a series of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries with different Ni/Mn ratio is investigated, in batches comparable to standard laboratory conditions, demonstrating the delayed onset of lithiation with increasing Mn content.

A multielectrode-based electrochemical cell allows the structural characterization of amorphous thin-film catalysts under reaction conditions using a high-energy X-ray scattering technique.