Bridging battery manufacture and performance: Particle structure assembly as a governing state variable

Rechargeable batteries play an indispensable role in contemporary energy storage. Within battery components such as electrodes, the manner in which particles are arranged into functional structures critically governs electrochemical performance. Although particle-scale electrode design has received increasing attention, its role is still often discussed through isolated descriptors or specific processes rather than as an integrated assembly state. Here we propose that particle structure assembly (PSA), which encompasses particle size distribution, porosity, tortuosity, and interparticle contact networks, should be identified as an integrated governing state variable that bridges manufacture processes and battery performance. PSA is not a static descriptor but an evolving structural state shaped sequentially by powder preparation, slurry processing, and calendering during cell fabrication. PSA determines structural configuration and interfacial connectivity, thereby dictating the distribution of concentration fields, electric potentials, and mechanical stresses, highlighting its core scientific position. The PSA-constrained multi-physics landscape defines the accessible performance space of a working battery. Recognizing PSA as a central state variable enables the shift from isolated chemistry-centric design to integrated particle-engineering strategies, offering a unified framework to accelerate next-generation battery technologies.