TY - INPR A1 - Morcillo, Dalia A1 - Oelze, Marcus A1 - Seena Prem, Pranav A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Abad Andrade, Carlos Enrique T1 - Lithium isotope fractionation as an early indicator of degradation mechanisms in lithium-ion batteries N2 - Aging in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) degrades performance and hinders sustainability, demanding advanced diagnostics for early failure prediction. We investigate lithium isotope fractionation (LIF) as an innovative probe of degradation in lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) coin cells aged over 0−700 cycles. High-precision multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) quantified δ7Li variations across cell stages: non-cycled (0 cycles), newly formed (5 cycles), semi-aged (250 cycles), and fully aged (700 cycles). During early cycling (≤ 45 cycles), chemical processes drive 7Li enrichment at the anode (δ7Li vs LSVEC = +12 ‰) through solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, while the cathode depletes in 7Li (δ7Li vs LSVEC = −0.7 ‰). Beyond 45 cycles, electric field-induced migration predominates, promoting 6Li intercalation into the anode and increasing the δ7Li of the cathode by 8.1 ‰. Mass balance verifies isotope conservation, attributing shifts to redistribution and trapping. Complementary electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy and diffraction confirm SEI expansion, cobalt oxidation, lattice shrinkage, and changes in electrode structure, corroborating LIF trends. Notably, a δ7Li inflection at approximately 270 cycles anticipates end-of-life by 70 cycles, surpassing traditional methods in sensitivity. LIF emerges as a predictive indicator of aging mechanisms, informing optimized designs for durable LIBs. KW - Lithium isotope fractionation KW - Lithium-ion batteries KW - Degradation mechanisms KW - LiCoO2 cathodes KW - LCO KW - Isotopic tracing KW - Lithium isotopes PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-650945 DO - https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-16lvq SP - 1 EP - 19 AN - OPUS4-65094 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -