Nanomechanics in Battery Materials

This half-day workshop explores AFM methodologies for measuring mechanical properties of battery materials at the nanoscale. This event features:

• AFM fundamentals, mode selection, and battery-specific applications including SEI layer mechanics, electrode degradation, and solid-state interfaces.
• Key topics include environmental control for air-sensitive materials, sample preparation, and data analysis methods.
• A live force spectroscopy demonstration will show real-time measurements on battery samples.

12:30-1:00 PM - Working Lunch & Introduction 

1:00-1:30 PM - AFM Fundamentals & Mode Selection 

1:30-2:00 PM - Battery-Specific Applications 

2:00-2:15 PM -  Short Break

2:15-3:00 PM - Live Demo: Force Spectroscopy Session 

3:00-3:30 PM - Data Analysis & Reporting (20 min presentation + Q&A)

• Processing workflow:
  • Baseline correction and contact point determination
  • Model selection (Hertz vs. DMT for different materials)
  • Batch processing for statistical significance
• Battery-specific considerations:
  • Substrate effects on thin SEI layers
  • Handling heterogeneous surfaces
• Reporting standards:
  • Essential parameters to document
  • Common pitfalls in data interpretation

3:30-4:00 PM - Roundtable discussions

4:00-4:30 PM - Lab Tour (for interested people which want to see the AFM standing there)

• AFM instrumentation walkthrough
• Glovebox-integrated systems

Takeaways: Participants will understand how to design AFM nanomechanical experiments for battery materials, interpret results, and recognize common measurement artifacts. (Is there any other way to incentivise people to join, like skipping the shadowing session?)