Surface Morphology Treatment of Lithium Metal Anode for Dendrite Suppression

Abstract

To accomplish higher mileage targets of electric vehicles (EVs), lithium/air or lithium/sulfur batteries using lithium metal as an anode have attracted much attention owing to their high energy density. However, lithium metal has a major drawback, the so-called lithium dendrite which results in inhibited battery performance and instability. Hence, it is essential to generate effective technologies for suppressing lithium dendrite formation on the lithium metal surface. We have proposed dendrite-free lithium metals by using surface morphology treatment technology. This has advantages of not only simple process but also improved battery performance such as rate capability and cycle performance. This work is focused on developing a more well-designed and improved dendrite-free lithium metal anode for lithium metal secondary batteries. We adopted a mathematical model to optimise the metal surface morphology of different shapes by considering process technique of the treatment tool. To reflect the simulation results, the electrochemical performance of cells assembled with and without controlled lithium metal surface was experimentally conducted. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, S-4800, Hitachi) was also used to confirm dendrite formation on lithium metal surface during charge and discharge.