Lithium plating in anode free lithium batteries

The anode-free form of lithium battery offers a large potential benefit in energy density over traditional Li-ion, however suffers from severe performance degradation during cycling. Capacity loss is typically attributed to extensive Li inventory reduction associated with the continual creation of excess SEI and “dead” Li. The morphology of the Li plated during cell charging is a key performance driver, with dense, planar films preferable over high surface area dendrites. New electrolyte formulations to control morphology are a promising solution, however their effect remains unclear, particularly under repeated cycling. Here we propose to study the morphology of plated Li in the presence of various electrolytes, comparing pristine and aged samples.