SEM of large, uniform crystals of lithium metal grown on a surprising surface (IMAGE)
Caption
In this SEM image, large, uniform crystals of lithium metal grow on a surface that is surprising because it doesn't "like" lithium. UC San Diego battery researchers found that lithium metal crystals can be started (nucleated) and grown, quickly and uniformly, into dense layers of lithium metal that lack performance-degrading dendrites. In a Nature Energy paper published on Feb. 9, 2023, the UC San Diego battery researchers showed that this surprise formation of lithium crystal seeds leads to dense lithium layers even at high charging rates, resulting in long-cycle-life lithium-metal batteries that can also be fast charged. This discovery overcomes a common phenomena in rechargeable lithium-metal batteries in which high-rate charging always leads to porous lithium and short cycle lifes. By replacing the ubiquitous copper surfaces on the negative side (the anode) of lithium-metal batteries with this lithiophobic surface made of lithium fluoride and iron, the researchers have opened a new avenue for creating more reliable, safer, higher performance lithium-metal batteries.
Credit
Zhaohui Wu and Zeyu Hui / UC San Diego
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CC BY