Lithium fiber growth on the anode in a nanowire lithium ion battery during charging

Abstract

Lithium (Li) dendrite formation has been recognized as one of the major safety concerns for Li metal batteries but not for conventional Li ion batteries (LIBs) where Li metal is not used. With the advanced in situ transmission electron microscopy enabling direct observation of battery operation, we found that Li fibers with length up to 35 μm grew on nanowire tip after charging. The Li fibers growth were highly directional, i.e., nucleating from the nanowire tip, and extending along the nanowire axis, which was attributed to the strong electric field enhancement effect induced by the sharp nanowire tip. This study reveals a potential safety concern of short-circuit failure for LIBs using nanowire anodes.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
May 02, 2011
Source ID
10.1063/1.3585655

Entities

People

  • Akihiro Kushima
  • Jian Yu Huang
  • John P. Sullivan
  • Ju Li
  • Li Qiang Zhang
  • Li Zhong
  • Scott X. Mao
  • Xiao Hua Liu
  • Zhi Zhen Ye

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • National Nuclear Security Administration
  • National Science Foundation
  • Sandia National Laboratories
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • Zhejiang University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Battery Technology and Engineering
  • Materials Science (Mechanical Engineering).
  • Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics