Influence of contouring the lithium metal/solid electrolyte interface on the critical current for dendrites

Zhang, S. et al. (2024) Influence of contouring the lithium metal/solid electrolyte interface on the critical current for dendrites. Energy and Environmental Science, (doi: 10.1039/D3EE03322H) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Contouring or structuring of the lithium/ceramic electrolyte interface and therefore increasing its surface area has been considered as a possible strategy to increase the charging current in solid-state batteries without lithium dendrite formation and short-circuit. By coupling together lithium deposition kinetics and the me chanics of lithium creep within calculations of the current distribution at the interface, and leveraging a model for lithium dendrite growth, we show that efforts to avoid dendrites on charging by increasing the interfacial surface area come with significant limitations associated with the topography of rough surfaces. These limitations are sufficiently severe such that it is very unlikely contouring could increase charging currents while avoiding dendrites and short-circuit to the levels required. For example, we show a sinusoidal surface topography can only raise the charging current before dendrites occur by approx. 50% over a flat interface.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: P. G. B. is indebted to the Faraday Institution (FIRG026), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M009521/1), and the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials for financial support (EP/R00661X/1, EP/S019367/1, and EP/R010145/1). The authors acknowledge use of characterisation facilities within the David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy, Department of Materials, University of Oxford, alongside financial support provided by the Henry Royce Institute (Grant ref EP/R010145/1). The X-ray tomography facilities were funded by EPSRC Grant [EP/M02833X/1] ‘‘University of Oxford: experimental equipment upgrade’’.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Li, Dr Guanchen
• Authors: Zhang, S., Hu, B., Geng, Z., Gao, X., Spencer-Jolly, D., Melvin, D. L.R., Ning, Z., Li, G., Jenkins, M., Wang, L., Gao, H., Pu, S. D., Marrow, T. J., Monroe, C. W., and Bruce, P. G.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: Energy and Environmental Science
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• ISSN: 1754-5692
• ISSN (Online): 1754-5706
• Published Online: 26 January 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024
• First Published: First published in Energy and Environmental Science 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license