Nanoporous Stripping and Cycling Morphology of Lithium Metal at Low Temperature

Lithium metal anodes provide beneficial high energy densities and high cell potential. However, their high reactivity also leads to accelerated side reactions and dead lithium formation that cause capacity and efficiency losses. Lowering the temperature provides an opportunity to lower lithium metal reactivity, but comes with significant kinetic losses and dendritic growth. This work fills a gap in the lithium metal literature by presenting the effects of low temperature on lithium metal stripping morphology. The effects of temperature and pressure are also investigated in controlling the evolution of the lithium metal interface during extended cycling. This study presents a novel understanding of lithium metal low-temperature operation in a state-of-the-art electrolyte.