Lithium Dendrite Growth Mechanisms and Inhibition Strategies in Garnet-Type Solid-State Electrolytes: A Review

Garnet-based solid-state electrolytes Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) are of interest in solid-state lithium-metal batteries (SSLMBs) due to their wide electrochemical window, high room-temperature ionic-conductivity, and low-cost; while the problem of lithium-dendrite infiltration into LLZO hinders the practical application of such SSLMBs. However, despite the large number of studies on lithium-dendrites, there is still a lack of systematic summaries and in-depth discussions of their nucleation and growth behavior in LLZO. Therefore, this paper reviews the latest research progress on the growth mechanism of lithium-dendrites, explores the nucleation and growth behavior of lithium-dendrites in LLZO, and investigates the influencing factors of lithium-dendrites from the aspects of physical properties, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics of LLZO; on this basis, it summarizes the solutions to inhibit the infiltration of lithium-dendrites into LLZO in recent years, including the optimization of the crystalline phase of LLZO, the modification of the dopant, interface modification and other innovative means, and proposes a multidimensional strategy to inhibit the growth of lithium-dendrites. In addition, recently developed advanced characterization techniques are reviewed for a deeper understanding of the formation and development of lithium-dendrites, aiming to provide a reference for the solution to the lithium-dendrite problem in order to promote the development of high-performance SSLMBs.