Real-time observation of lithium fibers growth inside a nanoscale lithium-ion battery

Formation of lithium dendrite/fibers during charging-discharging cycles not only causes short circuit but is also known as a major safety issue. In this work, an electrochemical cell was constructed inside a transmission electron microscope to observe the real-time nucleation and growth of the lithium fibers inside a nanoscale Li-ion battery. Our results show that during the lithiation process, the lithium ions nucleate at the interface of anode and electrolyte and then grow into fibers. These fibers grew parallel to the direction of the applied electric field. Such observations can assist the nanoscale design of better electrodes and electrolyte materials needed for safe and high power Li-ion batteries. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3643035]