The science behind the nucleation growth and stability of deposited metal is crucial for a wide range of commercially relevant electrochemical applications including: energy/hybrid energy storage systems, semiconductors, and catalysis. The combined impact of thermal, mechanical, chemical and electrochemical factors create a complex and convoluted set of possible thermodynamic pathways related to the overall stability and growth of deposited metal. This convolution of pathways has long-ranging impacts on the durability, reliability and safety of the devices and can ultimately lead or inhibit the successful development of advanced technologies.

Routes to better understand the stability and initial structure of nucleation events and the subsequent reactivity of the metals are necessary to determine more efficient and dynamic routes to optimize performance for systems which require the electrodeposition of reactive metals. This presentation will focus on a modelling approach that looks at the combined stability and variation in stability of Li metal.

Included in the discussion will be results showing that deviation from classical theories are expected as the size of the initial Li cluster is varied. The work will also discuss how interfacial structures impact surface stability, the formation of surface interphases and ultimately how charge transfer is impacted.