Issue 10, 2016

Transition of lithium growth mechanisms in liquid electrolytes

Abstract

Next-generation high-energy batteries will require a rechargeable lithium metal anode, but lithium dendrites tend to form during recharging, causing short-circuit risk and capacity loss, by mechanisms that still remain elusive. Here, we visualize lithium growth in a glass capillary cell and demonstrate a change of mechanism from root-growing mossy lithium to tip-growing dendritic lithium at the onset of electrolyte diffusion limitation. In sandwich cells, we further demonstrate that mossy lithium can be blocked by nanoporous ceramic separators, while dendritic lithium can easily penetrate nanopores and short the cell. Our results imply a fundamental design constraint for metal batteries (“Sand's capacity”), which can be increased by using concentrated electrolytes with stiff, permeable, nanoporous separators for improved safety.

Graphical abstract: Transition of lithium growth mechanisms in liquid electrolytes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Jun 2016
Accepted
08 Aug 2016
First published
01 Sep 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Energy Environ. Sci., 2016,9, 3221-3229

Transition of lithium growth mechanisms in liquid electrolytes

P. Bai, J. Li, F. R. Brushett and M. Z. Bazant, Energy Environ. Sci., 2016, 9, 3221 DOI: 10.1039/C6EE01674J

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