Lithium crystallization at solid interfaces

© 2023. The Author(s)..

Understanding the electrochemical deposition of metal anodes is critical for high-energy rechargeable batteries, among which solid-state lithium metal batteries have attracted extensive interest. A long-standing open question is how electrochemically deposited lithium-ions at the interfaces with the solid-electrolytes crystalize into lithium metal. Here, using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we study and reveal the atomistic pathways and energy barriers of lithium crystallization at the solid interfaces. In contrast to the conventional understanding, lithium crystallization takes multi-step pathways mediated by interfacial lithium atoms with disordered and random-closed-packed configurations as intermediate steps, which give rise to the energy barrier of crystallization. This understanding of multi-step crystallization pathways extends the applicability of Ostwald's step rule to interfacial atom states, and enables a rational strategy for lower-barrier crystallization by promoting favorable interfacial atom states as intermediate steps through interfacial engineering. Our findings open rationally guided avenues of interfacial engineering for facilitating the crystallization in metal electrodes for solid-state batteries and can be generally applicable for fast crystal growth.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:14

Enthalten in:

Nature communications - 14(2023), 1 vom: 24. Mai, Seite 2986

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Yang, Menghao [VerfasserIn]
Liu, Yunsheng [VerfasserIn]
Mo, Yifei [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 25.05.2023

Date Revised 27.05.2023

published: Electronic

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.1038/s41467-023-38757-2

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM357280598