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Multiscale observation of Li plating for lithium-ion batteries

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Abstract

As the most hazardous side reaction, Li plating poses high risks of undermining electrochemical performance of Li-ion batteries by accelerating degradation. Under some extreme abuse conditions, Li plating can even jeopardize safety performance and induce catastrophic results like thermal runaway. Therefore, multiscale observation of Li plating is of great significance for understanding the internal mechanisms and early detection of Li plating. In this mini-review, the recent progress of formation mechanisms of plated metallic lithium was introduced. Then, the in situ and ex situ observation methods of macroscopic, microscopic and atomic level were summarized. Reference electrode provides a promising tool for real-time monitoring of anode potential, which is the critical factor of Li plating, showing great potentials in cloud-based battery management systems. Finally, some perspectives for future researches on Li plating observation and corresponding utilizations in developing Li plating free control strategies were proposed.

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Fig. 1

Reproduced with permission from Ref. [16]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier. c Photograph of anode after cycling for cells cycled at different rates and 12 °C to examine for confirmation of occurrence of lithium plating. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [19]. Copyright 2015, IOP

Fig. 2

Reproduced with permission from Ref. [33]. Copyright 2019, IOP. c Differential voltage and d differential capacity curves during discharging process. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [48]. Copyright 2014, Elsevier. A summary of e fade, f coulombic efficiency and g coulombic inefficiency per hour (CIE/h) versus charge rate for all pouch cells at different temperatures and rates using both single and two-stage charge process. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [19]. Copyright 2015, IOP

Fig. 3

Reproduced with permission from Ref. [51]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier. c Setup for measuring cell thickness with a dial indicator; d change in cell thickness with and without lithium plating during one charge. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [35]. Copyright 2014, Elsevier

Fig. 4

Reproduced with permission from Ref. [17]. Copyright 2019, Royal Society of Chemistry. d, e SEM images of a graphite anode during charging process without Li plating; f, g an anode surface with Li plating induced by 10C pulse charging, which was quickly disassembled within less than 5 min; h, i an anode after 10C pulse charging followed by prolonged relaxation. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [16]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier

Fig. 5

Reproduced with permission from Ref. [60]. Copyright 2014, Elsevier. d Raw data of diffraction reflections of LiC12 and LiC6 for the lowest charging rate C/20 and the highest charging rate 1C directly after charging and after a 4-h rest. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [61]. Copyright 2017, Elsevier

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No.2016YFB0100300) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1864213).

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  1. School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Xin-Lei Gao, Xin-Hua Liu, Wen-Long Xie, Li-Sheng Zhang & Shi-Chun Yang

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  1. Xin-Lei Gao
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Correspondence to Shi-Chun Yang.

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Gao, XL., Liu, XH., Xie, WL. et al. Multiscale observation of Li plating for lithium-ion batteries. Rare Met. 40, 3038–3048 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-021-01730-3

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