New Understanding toward Lithium Morphologic Evolution in Lithium Metal Batteries

Abstract

The generation of dendrites is a common issue of lithium metal battery, while the failure mechanism is still uncovered especially at low current densities/capacities. To better understand the mechanical factors caused by lithium morphologic evolution in the whole dynamic process of a cycle, this study proposes a failure mechanism of the lithium metal anode under a safe condition of rather low current density/capacity. The anode and the electrolyte fail to maintain effective contact throughout the dynamic cycling process due to the accumulation and extrusion of lithium deposits. To guarantee effective contact, a facile and low-cost mechanical stamping method for lithium metal anode modification is accordingly presented. The curved lithium electrode can stably cycle for more than 300 cycles at 3 mA cm−2. This study is believed to provide a more in-depth understanding toward the evolvement of lithium morphology to boost practical use of the lithium metal anodes.