Operando monitoring the lithium spatial distribution of lithium metal anodes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29858568.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-04394-3 and PMC identifier 5984624.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Electrical mobility demands an increase of battery energy density beyond current lithium-ion technology. A crucial bottleneck is the development of safe and reversible lithium-metal anodes, which is challenged by short circuits caused by lithium-metal dendrites and a short cycle life owing to the reactivity with electrolytes. The evolution of the lithium-metal-film morphology is relatively poorly understood because it is difficult to monitor lithium, in particular during battery operation. Here we employ operando neutron depth profiling as a noninvasive and versatile technique, complementary to microscopic techniques, providing the spatial distribution/density of lithium during plating and stripping. The evolution of the lithium-metal-density-profile is shown to depend on the current density, electrolyte composition and cycling history, and allows monitoring the amount and distribution of inactive lithium over cycling. A small amount of reversible lithium uptake in the copper current collector during plating and stripping is revealed, providing insights towards improved lithium-metal anodes.