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Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications
Published on: August 12, 2013
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Local crystallization inside the polymer electrolyte for lithium metal batteries observed by operando nanofocus WAXS
Fabian A C Apfelbeck1, Gilles E Wittmann2, Morgan P Le Dû1
1TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
Nature Communications
|October 8, 2025
Summary
This study reveals lithium dendrites grow within polymer electrolytes, not just at electrodes, using advanced X-ray scattering. This finding is crucial for developing safer, next-generation lithium batteries.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Next-generation lithium batteries aim to prevent lithium dendrite formation, a major safety concern.
- Solid-state electrolytes are explored to suppress parasitic reactions like dendrite growth.
- High transference numbers in electrolytes are believed to inhibit dendrite formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the location and mechanism of lithium dendrite growth in polymer-based electrolytes.
- To utilize nanofocus X-ray wide-angle scattering for in-situ analysis of structural changes.
- To understand crystallite formation within the electrolyte during battery cycling.
Main Methods:
- Operando scanning nanofocus X-ray wide-angle scattering (SWXS).
- Analysis of a composite gel-type polymer electrolyte (poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and poly((trifluoromethane) sulfonimide lithium styrene)).
- Testing in a lithium symmetric cell over three half-cycles.
Main Results:
- Lithium carbonate crystallites were observed within the electrolyte up to a depth of 16 µm.
- Lithium hydroxide crystallites were detected near the lithium electrode but not in the bulk electrolyte.
- Pure metallic lithium growth was identified within the electrolyte, indicating internal dendrite formation.
Conclusions:
- Lithium dendrite formation occurs within the polymer-based electrolyte, challenging previous assumptions of electrode-initiated growth.
- Nanofocus X-ray wide-angle scattering effectively visualizes internal structural changes, including dendrite formation, in polymer electrolytes.
- Understanding internal dendrite growth is key to designing safer and more efficient solid-state lithium batteries.
