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Rechargeable batteries have been an integral part of the portable electronics revolution and are now playing a critical role in transport and grid applications to help mitigate climate change. However, these applications come with different sets of challenges. New technologies are being investigated and fundamental science is key to producing non-incremental advances and to develop new strategies for energy storage and conversion.

This talk will focus on our own work to develop NMR, MRI and new optical methods that allow devices to be probed while they are operating (i.e., operando), from the local, to particle and then cell level. This allows transformations of the various cell components to be followed under realistic conditions without having to disassemble and take apart the cell. Starting with local dynamics, as measured by NMR, I will then show - with the optical methods - how the different dynamics can result in different intercalation methods. A good example is our work on LiCoO2 where via optical approaches we were able to directly visualize movement of phase fronts as lithium is removed and inserted into this material. Finally, new results on battery degradation and solution based redox flow and extremely high-rate batteries will be outlined.