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Influence of Potassium Metal-Support Interactions on Dendrite Growth.
Pengcheng Liu1, Dean Yen2, Bairav S Vishnugopi3
1Materials Science and Engineering Program & Texas Materials Institute (TMI), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-1591, USA.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|March 9, 2023
Summary
Potassium metal anode performance hinges on support interactions. Potassiophilic supports yield dense, pore-free deposits, while potassiophobic ones result in porous, cracked structures, impacting battery cycling.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Potassium metal anodes are crucial for high-energy-density batteries.
- Understanding metal-support interactions is key to controlling potassium electrodeposit morphology.
- Existing methods lack the resolution to fully characterize nanoscale deposit structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the influence of metal-support energetics on potassium electrodeposit microstructure.
- To correlate support wettability with the resulting deposit morphology and stability.
- To provide insights for designing stable potassium metal anodes.
Main Methods:
- Combined synchrotron X-ray nanotomography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
- Focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) for cross-sectioning and 3D imaging.
- Mesoscale modeling of nucleation, growth, and stress evolution.
Main Results:
- Potassiophilic supports (O-functionalized carbon cloth) promote dense, pore-free K deposits with uniform SEI.
- Potassiophobic supports (unfunctionalized cloth, Cu foil) lead to porous, sponge-like deposits with dendrites, SEI, nanopores, cracks, and voids.
- Modeling confirms substrate-metal interaction's critical role in K nucleation, growth, and stress.
Conclusions:
- Support energetics significantly dictate potassium electrodeposit microstructure and stability.
- Tailoring support wettability offers a pathway to control K metal anode morphology.
- Advanced imaging and modeling are essential for understanding interfacial phenomena in metal batteries.
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