Vibration-Induced Stabilization of Lithium Anodes: Synergistic Effects of Morphological and SEI Evolution

Abstract

Lithium metal is a highly attractive anode material for next-generation energy storage systems due to its extremely high energy density and low redox potential. Despite the growing interest in lithium metal batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), the effect of mechanical vibrations—a common condition in automotive environments—on lithium metal anodes has rarely received attention. In this study, the impact of linear shear vibration on Li metal anodes is investigated and the resulting electrochemical behavior is analyzed. Cells exposed to horizontal vibration exhibited a thinner Li electrodeposition layer compared to non-vibrated cells (7.18 µm vs 11.3 µm). This vibration-induced effect also delayed the increase in overpotential in Li||Li symmetric cells, extending their cycling life by up to 30%. Moreover, full cell comprising Li metal and LiFePO4 demonstrated enhanced stability under horizontal vibration. Physicochemical and electrochemical analyses revealed that the Li2O-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the electrode surface, leading to densely packed Li deposits and improved cycling performance. These findings present a novel strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of Li electrodes through the application of linear vibration, offering valuable insights for designing EV batteries.