Non-negative matrix factorization for 2D-XAS images of lithium ion batteries

Lithium-ion secondary batteries have been used in a wide variety of purposes, such as for powering mobile devices and electric vehicles, but their performance should be improved. One of the factors that limits their performance is the non-uniformity of the chemical reaction in the process of charging and discharging. Many attempts have been made to elucidate the mechanism behind this reaction non-uniformity. In this paper, to detect non-uniformity in various physical properties from Co K-edge two-dimensional x-ray absorption spectroscopy (2D-XAS) images of lithium ion batteries, we propose a method that consists of one-sided orthogonal non-negative matrix factorization in combination with removal of the reference signal. The difference between x-ray absorption spectra acquired at different positions in the battery is very small. However, even in such a situation, our method can decompose the 2D-XAS data into different spatial domains and their corresponding absorption spectra. From the spectral decomposition of the obtained absorption spectra, we confirmed a transition-energy shift of the main peak as evidence for a change in the state of charge and also found spectral changes due to orbital hybridization in the decomposed spectral components.