Towards standardized analytical protocols for Li-ion battery research: Bridging the gap in compositional reporting

The performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is significantly influenced by the composition of the lithium-ion cells (Li-ion cells) that constitute the battery packs. The two fundamental characteristics that define a Li-ion cell are the chemical composition of the internal components, i.e. the formulation of the active materials of the electrodes and electrolyte, and the electrical parameters, i.e., capacity and voltage. Given the significance of LIBs in the green transition, a substantial number of articles have been published in past years studying various aspects, including internal mechanisms, resistance to internal/external abuse, and optimization of the battery management system (BMS). The majority of these articles studied Li-ion cells that were already available on the market. However, it has been observed that the documents accompanying Li-ion cells, i.e., technical data sheets (TDSs) and material safety data sheets (MSDSs), often fail to provide the complete set of fundamental information. This deficiency results in Materials and Methods section of scientific articles on Li-ion cells lacking key information, making it difficult to compare published and obtained results. The present work aims to propose an analytical protocol to unify the compositional analysis and subsequently the characteristics reported in the articles regarding the LIBs. • Offer an analytical protocol to characterize the internal components of Li-ion cell • Update of the electrical parameters compared to the info reported in the TDS • Update of the chemical characteristics compared to the info reported in the MSDS • Unify the info in the Materials & Methods section of the article on Li-ion cells