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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Growth dynamics and pore trapping in lithium metal electrodes

  • Josef Rizell1,2
  • Victor Vanpeene3
  • Elin Dufvenius Esping1,2
  • Martina Olsson1,2
  • Gustavo Pinzón Forero4
  • Julie Villanova4
  • Sandrine Lyonnard3
  • Aleksandar Matic1,2
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Physics and Astronomy
  2. 2Chalmers University of Technology
  3. 3Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble INP, IRIG, SyMMES
  4. 4European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, Grenoble, France
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Abstract

Achieving high energy density in lithium metal cells requires minimizing both the electrolyte volume and the excess lithium metal. To ensure acceptable cycle life under these conditions, a dense electrode morphology is a necessity. External stack pressure is a common route to mitigate the development of a porous morphology, however, the electrode porosity still tends to increase during extended cycling. In this work, operando X-ray nano-tomography is used to track the pore evolution with sub-micron spatial resolution and visualize its dependence on stack pressure. A pore formation mechanism is unveiled, based on highly localized initial Li deposition on the uneven electrode surface that develops during cycling. Newly deposited structures grow rapidly and when in contact with the separator, the pressure transmitted induces horizontal growth, coarsening the structures. This type of growth mechanism traps pores between the bulk electrode and a dense layer of columnar lithium. Based on this, a homogeneous initial deposition in each cycle should be targeted to suppress pore trapping, thereby minimizing both the electrode surface area and the required electrolyte volume.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{rizell2026growth,
  title = {{Growth dynamics and pore trapping in lithium metal electrodes}},
  author = {Josef Rizell and Victor Vanpeene and Elin Dufvenius Esping and Martina Olsson and Gustavo Pinzón Forero and Julie Villanova and Sandrine Lyonnard and Aleksandar Matic},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010966/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010966/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Growth dynamics and pore trapping in lithium metal electrodes
AU  - Josef Rizell
AU  - Victor Vanpeene
AU  - Elin Dufvenius Esping
AU  - Martina Olsson
AU  - Gustavo Pinzón Forero
AU  - Julie Villanova
AU  - Sandrine Lyonnard
AU  - Aleksandar Matic
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010966/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010966/v1
AB  - Achieving high energy density in lithium metal cells requires minimizing both the electrolyte volume and the excess lithium metal. To ensure acceptable cycle life under these conditions, a dense electrode morphology is a necessity. External stack pressure is a common route to mitigate the development of a porous morphology, however, the electrode porosity still tends to increase during extended cycling. In this work, operando X-ray nano-tomography is used to track the pore evolution with sub-micron spatial resolution and visualize its dependence on stack pressure. A pore formation mechanism is unveiled, based on highly localized initial Li deposition on the uneven electrode surface that develops during cycling. Newly deposited structures grow rapidly and when in contact with the separator, the pressure transmitted induces horizontal growth, coarsening the structures. This type of growth mechanism traps pores between the bulk electrode and a dense layer of columnar lithium. Based on this, a homogeneous initial deposition in each cycle should be targeted to suppress pore trapping, thereby minimizing both the electrode surface area and the required electrolyte volume.
ER  -