Avalanche-like intercalation and intraparticle correlations in graphite

TL;DR - Operando optical microscopy reveals avalanche-like lithium insertion and removal in graphite electrodes. The findings show that local disorder shapes phase-transition dynamics and ion transport in lithium-ion batteries.

• Avalanches occur as graphite’s dilute stages fill or empty.
• Intraparticle correlations influence how these transitions propagate.
• The work links microscopic disorder to electrode-scale transport behavior.
• Understanding these dynamics could inform improved battery electrode design.