Investigating microstructure evolution of lithium metal during plating and stripping via operando X-ray tomographic microscopy

Efficient lithium metal stripping and plating operation capable of maintaining electronic and ionic conductivity is crucial to develop safe lithium metal batteries. However, monitoring lithium metal microstructure evolution during cell cycling is challenging. Here, we report the development of an operando synchrotron X-ray tomographic microscopy method capable of probing in real-time the formation, growth, and dissolution of Li microstructures during the cycling of a Li||Cu cell containing a standard non-aqueous liquid electrolyte solution. The analyses of the operando X-ray tomographic microscopy measurements enable tracking the evolution of deposited Li metal as a function of time and applied current density and distinguishing the formation of electrochemically inactive Li from the active bulk of Li microstructures. Furthermore, in-depth analyses of the Li microstructures shed some light on the structural connectivity of deposited Li at different current densities as well as the formation mechanism of fast-growing fractal Li microstructures, which are ultimately responsible for cell failure.