The morphology of lithium electrodes in a variety of alkyl carbonate solutions was studied using in situ
atomic force microscopy (AFM). We made use of a workstation specially built for the study of highly reactive
electrochemical systems by AFM and other scanning probe techniques, based on an evacuable, vibration-protected glovebox. The electrolyte solution used was composed of propylene carbonate (PC), mixtures of
ethylene carbonate (EC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and Li salts from the following
list: LiPF6, LiClO4, LiAsF6, LiN(SO2CF3)2, LiN(SO2CF2CF3)2, and LiC(SO2CF3)3. We studied the effect of
solution composition, prolonged storage, Li deposition, and dissolution at low and high current densities.
The AFM imaging of these systems shows the complicated morphology of the Li electrodes that depend on
the solution composition. We were able to clearly follow the nonuniform nature of Li deposition and dissolution
in these systems. We were also able to follow by in situ AFM imaging critical events such as the onset of
dendrite formation and the breakdown and repair of the surface films on lithium during Li dissolution at high
current densities. The basic morphology of Li electrodes in alkyl carbonate solutions and the condition for
the reversible behavior of Li electrodes is discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.