Researchers understand and utilise dendrites to enhance lithium-metal batteries

Lithium-metal batteries hold promise as a high-density energy storage technology but uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth on the anode can induce unwanted reactions that reduce energy density or can cause shorting of the electrodes.

New research from Arizona State University that involves a 3-dimensional layer of Polydimethysiloxane (PDMS), or silicone, as the substrate of lithium metal anode has been found to mitigate dendrite formation and stands to extend battery life and diminish safety risks. A paper describing the work - Stress-driven lithium dendrite growth mechanism and dendrite mitigation by electroplating on soft substrates - was published in Nature Energy.

According to Hanqing Jiang, a professor in Arizona State University’s School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy and a lead researcher on the paper, the findings have relevance for lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries, as well as implications for other metal-anode-based batteries.

“Almost all metals used as battery anodes tend to develop dendrites,” said Jiang. “For example, these findings have implications for zinc, sodium and aluminium batteries as well.”