Dendrite formation, resulting in gradual capacity loss culminating in cell shorting and failure is the primary problem preventing large-scale utilization of lithium anodes in lithium-anode based batteries (LABs) (1). The use of lithium metal anodes (LMA) for battery applications is largely hindered by the massive volumetric change and inhomogeneous nucleation associated with lithium plating/deplating. Dendrite formation in lithium is a major stumbling block halting the progress of high energy battery systems such as lithium-sulfur and lithium-air batteries.

In this work, a unique approach is used to address both dendritic growth and volumetric changes associated with plating/deplating of large volumes of lithium. Using a Li-rich structurally isomorphous alloys (SIA) with alloying elements specifically forming isomorphous alloy states capable of undergoing lithiation/delithiation without loss in phase and/or crystallographic structure is shown to have stable dendrite-free cycling (Figure 1) for over 200 cycles with capacities of >15 mAh/cm² (~1627 mAh/g). This presentation will outline this highly efficient method of storing and removing lithium with no dendritic growth demonstrating its promise for opening new frontiers in high power lithium-anode based battery research.

Figure caption:

Figure 1: SEM images of the morphology of (a) lithium electrode and (b) Li-SIA electrode cycled at a current density~100 mA/g (125 cycles) (c) Li-SIA electrode cycled at current density~100mA/g (125 cycles). A clear absence of dendritic structures is observed in the Li-SIA electrode.

References

1. J. Steiger, Mechanisms of Dendrite Growth in Lithium Metal Batteries, in, Karlsruhe, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Diss., 2015 (2015).