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Critical stripping current leads to dendrite formation on plating in lithium anode solid electrolyte cells

Nature Materials volume 18, pages 1105–1111 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

A critical current density on stripping is identified that results in dendrite formation on plating and cell failure. When the stripping current density removes Li from the interface faster than it can be replenished, voids form in the Li at the interface and accumulate on cycling, increasing the local current density at the interface and ultimately leading to dendrite formation on plating, short circuit and cell death. This occurs even when the overall current density is considerably below the threshold for dendrite formation on plating. For the Li/Li6PS5Cl/Li cell, this is 0.2 and 1.0 mA cm−2 at 3 and 7 MPa pressure, respectively, compared with a critical current for plating of 2.0 mA cm−2 at both 3 and 7 MPa. The pressure dependence on stripping indicates that creep rather than Li diffusion is the dominant mechanism transporting Li to the interface. The critical stripping current is a major factor limiting the power density of Li anode solid-state cells. Considerable pressure may be required to achieve even modest power densities in solid-state cells.

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Fig. 1: Cell schematic and voltage versus charge passed for three-electrode cells on Li metal plating and stripping at the Li/Li6PS5Cl interface.
Fig. 2: SEM cross-sections of the Li metal/Li6PS5Cl interface.
Fig. 3: In situ X-ray computed tomography images of the Li metal/Li6PS5Cl interface of a cycled Li metal/Li6PS5Cl/Li metal cell.
Fig. 4: Schematic of Li metal/Li6PS5Cl interface cycled at an overall current density above the CCS.
Fig. 5: Voltage versus charge passed for three-electrode Li/Li6PS5Cl cells at different pressures and current densities.
Fig. 6: Voltage versus charge passed for two-electrode Li/Li6PS5Cl/Li cells cycled at different pressures and current densities.

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Data availability

Supporting research data has been deposited in the Oxford Research Archive and is available at https://doi.org/10.5287/bodleian:gA47ppAz9.

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Acknowledgements

P.G.B. is indebted to the Faraday Institution All-Solid-State Batteries with Li and Na Anodes (FIRG007, FIRG008), as well as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), including the SUPERGEN Energy Storage Hub (EP/L019469/1), Enabling Next Generation Lithium Batteries (EP/M009521/1), the University of Oxford experimental equipment upgrade (EP/M02833X/1) and the Henry Royce Institute for capital equipment (EP/R010145/1) for financial support. The authors thank Dr Phil Holdway, Oxford Materials Characterisation Service, for help with XPS measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Jitti Kasemchainan, Stefanie Zekoll, Dominic Spencer Jolly, Ziyang Ning, Gareth O. Hartley, James Marrow & Peter G. Bruce

  2. The Faraday Institution, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK

    Jitti Kasemchainan, Stefanie Zekoll & Peter G. Bruce

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Peter G. Bruce

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Contributions

J.K. contributed to all aspects of the research. S.Z. performed the SEM experiments and analysed the data. D.S.J. performed electrochemical experiments and analysed the data. Z.N. performed synthesis of Li6PS5Cl and in situ tomography experiments. P.G.B., J.K., S.Z., D.S.J., Z.N., G.O.H. and J.M. interpreted the data. P.G.B. wrote the paper with contributions from J.K., S.Z., D.S.J., Z.N. and G.O.H. The project was supervised by P.G.B.

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Correspondence to Peter G. Bruce.

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Kasemchainan, J., Zekoll, S., Spencer Jolly, D. et al. Critical stripping current leads to dendrite formation on plating in lithium anode solid electrolyte cells. Nat. Mater. 18, 1105–1111 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0438-9

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