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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Three-electrode Coin Cell Preparation and Electrodeposition Analytics for Lithium-ion Batteries
Published on: May 22, 2018
Chemomechanical Origin of Morphological Disparity in Lithium Metal Electrodeposition
Yaobin Xu1, Ruyue Fang2, Dingchuan Xue2
1Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA.
Abstract:
The morphology of electrochemically deposited lithium (Li) critically governs the cycling stability and safety of Li metal batteries, yet the underlying controlling factors remain poorly understood. Even within the same coin cell, Li deposits can exhibit strikingly different morphologies, for example, sparse whiskers coexisting with particle-like deposits, indicting strong local variations in growth conditions. By combining cryogenic transmission electron microscopy with phase-field modeling, here we identify the root cause of this disparity. We reveal that the morphological divergence originates from the variations in structure and chemical composition of the initial SEI layer formed on the copper (Cu) substrate. Solvent-derived organic SEI favors whisker growth, whereas salt-derived SEI promotes particle formation. This study establishes a direct mechanistic link between SEI chemomechanical properties and Li morphology, providing design principles for tailoring SEI layers to control Li deposition.
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