Drift Effect of Li Ions in Electrolytes on Dendritic Morphology

In Li-metal and Li-air batteries, anodic materials are Li metals. In contrast to the intercalation materials such as the graphite, however, the morphology of the Li metal anode surface is not uniform, i.e., dendritic growth, during battery charging. In this study, dendritic growth was simulated by using the diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) model, where we found the movement of Li ions in electrolytes is critical to change the morphology of dendrites. Especially, the directional drift of Li ions affects the dimension and height of dendrites. It is suggested that less viscous electrolytes can mitigate the dendritic growth on the Li metal anode surface.