Facing X-ray Radiation Damage Systematically: A Quantitative Investigation on Solid-State Electrolytes for LiS Batteries

X-ray spectroscopy techniques are widely used in material science providing valuable insights into elemental composition, chemical state and structure Considering the impact of the used X-ray radiation on the sample is crucial to differentiate between beam induced effects and material properties, avoiding misinterpretation, and improving reliability of experimental results. Especially operando experiments of complex systems like batteries with a variety of chemical reactions under operation and degradation mechanisms profit from optimized nondestructive experimental parameters. We present a systematic investigation strategy to face the challenge of radiation damage, supported by a case study on selected solid-state electrolyte materials for lithium sulfur batteries. Using synchrotron radiation, Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure is applied to monitor dose-dependent, X-ray-induced changes. Based on calibrated instrumentation a quantitative correlation between chemical changes and induced doses allows to determine threshold equivalents that can be extrapolated to other experiments.