Credit: Adapted with permission from Chemistry of Materials. Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society
Sophisticated electron microscopy allowed scientists to directly visualize magnesium going into an advanced battery electrode. During discharge, magnesium atoms move from one electrode (magnesium metal) to a positive electrode (vanadium oxide in the image), called the cathode. The high-resolution image shows the atomic arrangement in the cathode after discharge. The image shows the columns of vanadium (black) and oxygen (grey) atoms. The arrows identify several locations where magnesium has migrated within the atomic structure.