Investigating the evolving microstructure of lithium metal electrodes in 3D using X-ray computed tomography

Taiwo, Oluwadamilola O.; Finegan, Donal P.; Paz‐Garcia, Juan Manuel; Eastwood, David S.; Bodey, Andrew J.; Rau, Christoph; Hall, Stephen A.; Brett, Dan J. L.; Lee, Peter; Shearing, Paul R.

doi:10.1039/c7cp02872e

Cited by 50 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…It may be possible to use true, evolving Li surfaces, rather than the idealized Li surfaces analyzed here, once data along these lines [38] is available for cells under pressure…”

Section: Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rethinking How External Pressure Can Suppress Dendrites in Lithium Metal Batteries

Zhang

Wang

Harrison

et al. 2019

J. Electrochem. Soc.

129

115

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Lithium metal anodes are critical enablers for high energy density next generation batteries, but they suffer from poor morphology control and parasitic reactions. Recent experiments have shown that an external packing force on Li metal batteries with liquid electrolytes extends their lifetimes by inhibiting the growth of dendritic structures during Li deposition. However, the mechanisms by which pressure affects dendrite formation and growth have not been fully elucidated. For

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“…It may be possible to use true, evolving Li surfaces, rather than the idealized Li surfaces analyzed here, once data along these lines [38] is available for cells under pressure…”

Section: Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(The cathode porosity, generally near 30% for commercial cathodes, ensures that its surface is rough.) A significant level of roughness is inevitable on the Li metal as well [11,16,38,39], which can add to the complexity of the stress field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking How External Pressure Can Suppress Dendrites in Lithium Metal Batteries

Zhang

Wang

Harrison

et al. 2019

J. Electrochem. Soc.

129

115

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“…This porous dead Li layer leads to huge transfer resistance and cell polarization. 55 Before the dendrite-induced short circuit, the impedance of the battery sharply escalates and hence the service life is early terminated.…”

Section: The Significance Of LI Metal Anode In Working Li−s Batteriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review—Li Metal Anode in Working Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Cheng

Huang

Zhang

2017

J. Electrochem. Soc.

243

170

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Due to the high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg −1 , lithium-sulfur batteries are strongly regarded as the promising nextgeneration energy storage devices. However, the practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries are challenged by several obstacles, including the low sulfur utilization and poor lifespan, which are partly attributed to the shuttle of lithium polysulfides and lithium dendrite growth in working lithium-sulfur batteries. Suppressing lithium dendrite growth is a necessary step not only for a safe and efficient Li metal anode, but also for a high capacity cell with a high Coulombic efficiency. Herein we review the lithium metal anode protection in a polysulfide-rich environment, relative to most reviews on lithium metal anode without considering the effect of lithium polysulfides in lithium metal batteries. Firstly, the importance and dilemma of Li metal anode issues in lithium-sulfur batteries are underscored, aiming to arouse the attentions to Li metal anode protection. Specific attentions are paid to the surface chemistry of Li metal anode in a polysulfide-rich lithium-sulfur battery. Next, the proposed strategies to stabilize solid electrolyte interface and protect Li metal anode are included. Finally, a general conclusion and a perspective on the current limitations, as well as recommended future research directions of Li metal anode in lithium-sulfur batteries are presented. The ever-increasing requirement for efficient and economic energy storage technologies has triggered the continued research into advanced battery systems.1 Lithium ion batteries, based on the lithium intercalation chemistry, have dominated the battery market since their commercial application in the 1990s.2 However, conventional lithium ion batteries are very expensive and their energy densities (theoretically, 350 − 500 Wh kg −1 , practically, 100 − 250 Wh kg −1 ) seem insufficient for long-range electrical vehicles and high-end portable electronics. These emerging demands have energized the evolution of other alternative rechargeable batteries with higher energy density and longer lifespan.3 Lithium−sulfur (Li−S) battery, a 'beyond Li-ion' technology, has drawn extensive attentions due to its high specific capacity (1675 mAh g −1 ) and energy density (2600 Wh kg −1 ). 4-6The greater energy storage ability of Li−S batteries is realized through the phase-transformation electrochemistry based on elemental sulfur cathode and metallic lithium anode [S 8 + 16Li ↔ 8Li 2 S], 7,8 which is fundamentally different from current transition metal-based cathodes and graphite-based anodes in Li-ion batteries.The conversion chemistry in a Li−S cell offers not only significant advantages as mentioned above, but also some critical challenges, such as the low conductivity of sulfur and lithium sulfide, the huge volumetric change from sulfur (71 mol L −1 ) to lithium sulfide (36 mol L −1 ), and the shuttle of long-chain polysulfide intermediates during discharge/charge cycling.9-12 Therefore, a composite cathode with sulfur in ...

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“…It was found that the originally smooth and flat lithium metal surface was crimped by a separator due to the applied pressure during cell assembly. [38] This caused heterogeneous lithium growth and pitting on the surface, highlighting the importance of selecting a proper separator. Researchers were also able to quantitatively track the porosity and pore size of the lithium microstructure during the cycle and concluded that the heterogeneous growth may lead to the formation of the electrically isolated lithium.…”

Section: X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray Ct)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Probing Lithium Metals in Batteries by Advanced Characterization and Analysis Tools

Park

Tamwattana

Kim

et al. 2020

Advanced Energy Materials

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storage systems is one of the crucial parts in realizing the sustainable energy solution. [1][2][3][4] Rechargeable lithium ion batteries have served as an efficient energy storage system for portable electronic devices for the past decades and are expected to be the dominant technology for electric vehicles in the near future. [5,6] The needs for the higher-energy-density batteries are thus escalating so as to equip the electric vehicles with longer mileage at a lower cost. One of the promising solutions to boost the energy density of the lithium ion battery is to replace the graphite anode, which has a limited theoretical specific capacity of 372 mAh g −1 , with lithium metal anode. The lithium metal anode can exhibit an exceptionally high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mAh g −1 ), a low redox potential (−3.04 V vs the standard hydrogen electrode) and a light weight (0.534 g cm −3 ), therefore has been extensively studied for its employment in high-energy-density lithium batteries. [7][8][9][10][11][12] Nevertheless, the commercialization of LMBs have been currently inhibited by the safety problems and the poor cycle life involved with the use of reactive lithium metal anodes.The current understanding of these issues with lithium metal anodes is mainly regarding the non-uniform

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Investigating the evolving microstructure of lithium metal electrodes in 3D using X-ray computed tomography

Cited by 50 publications

References 50 publications

Rethinking How External Pressure Can Suppress Dendrites in Lithium Metal Batteries

Rethinking How External Pressure Can Suppress Dendrites in Lithium Metal Batteries

Review—Li Metal Anode in Working Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Probing Lithium Metals in Batteries by Advanced Characterization and Analysis Tools

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