Disclosed herein is a method and related device for improving energy performance and substantially preventing degradation of a chemical-to-electrical energy conversion process of an energy storage device (10), comprising the steps of: mechanically exciting chemical reaction products within the energy storage device (10) at energy levels proximate which covalent bonds with a matrix (51) of the energy storage device (10) would form absent excitation, thereby substantially maintaining ionic bonding between the chemical reaction products and the matrix (51) and substantially preventing the chemical reaction products from covalently bonding with the matrix (51); and introducing the mechanical excitations into the energy storage device (10) via an active material (31) mechanically-responsive to electromagnetic signals, in response to an electromagnetic signal.