Dendrite Growth Mechanisms in Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal batteries offer unmatched energy density by exploiting the high theoretical capacity of lithium metal anodes. However, the uncontrolled formation of dendritic lithium deposits during charging presents a serious barrier to their safe and reliable operation. Dendrites are filamentous structures that nucleate as small clusters of lithium beneath or within the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), then evolve through root growth and tip growth phases. Their development is driven by local variations in ion concentration, electric field intensity and mechanical stresses at the electrode–electrolyte interface. Inhomogeneities in the SEI layer further exacerbate non-uniform deposition, creating pathways for preferential lithium extrusion. Ion depletion zones adjacent to growing protrusions concentrate overpotential and accelerate filamentary growth, while incomplete dissolution on discharge leaves electrically isolated “dead lithium”, reducing cycle efficiency. Phase-field and continuum models have underscored the critical roles of exchange current density, diffusion-limited current thresholds and SEI transport properties in determining whether deposition remains dense and planar or branches into dangerous dendrites. Understanding these coupled electrochemical, chemical and mechanical processes is essential for designing electrolyte formulations, interphase modifiers and current-management protocols that suppress dendrite nucleation, guide uniform growth and enhance cell lifetime.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Dendrite Growth Mechanisms in Lithium Metal Batteries publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dendrite growth mechanisms in lithium metal batteries across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dendrite: A filamentary or tree-like lithium deposit that forms during charging and can pierce the separator, causing short circuits.

Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI): A passivation layer of decomposition products that forms on the lithium surface, controlling ion transport and interface stability.

Electrodeposition: The electrochemical process of depositing lithium metal onto the anode during battery charging.

Dead Lithium: Electrically isolated lithium metal formed when plated deposits do not fully strip during discharge, leading to capacity loss.

Ion Depletion: The local reduction of lithium‐ion concentration near the electrode surface, increasing overpotential and promoting non-uniform growth.

References

1. Ion Depletion Microenvironments Mapped at Active Electrochemical Interfaces with Operando Freezing Cryo-Electron Microscopy. ACS Energy Letters (2024).
2. Nucleation, growth and dissolution of Li metal dendrites and the formation of dead Li in Li-ion batteries investigated by operando electrochemical liquid cell scanning transmission electron microscopy. Nano Energy (2024).
3. Origin of Heterogeneous Stripping of Lithium in Liquid Electrolytes. ACS Nano (2023).
4. Insight into the Critical Role of Exchange Current Density on Electrodeposition Behavior of Lithium Metal. Advanced Science (2021).
5. Electro‐Chemo‐Mechanical Modeling of Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase to Enable Uniform Electrodeposition of Lithium Metal Anodes. Advanced Energy Materials (2022).
6. Application of phase-field method in rechargeable batteries. npj Computational Materials (2020).
7. Diffusion Limited Current Density: A Watershed in Electrodeposition of Lithium Metal Anode. Advanced Energy Materials (2022).