In-situ observation of lithium plating and stripping by synchrotron-based soft X-ray microscopy

The morphology of lithium deposition plays a crucial factor in determining the performance of lithium metal batteries. In order to understand the lithium plating and stripping process, the in-situ cell suitable for soft X-ray microscopy was designed and fabricated. We investigated the plating modes of mossy lithium and the interactions among surrounding grains. Furthermore, we established correlations between the lithium stripping process and the morphology of lithium grains, and thus summarized four stripping modes. The surface stripping and top stripping allow for complete stripping, while the side stripping and root stripping result in the formation of “dead lithium”. These findings provide valuable insights for reducing the formation of “dead lithium” in lithium metal batteries.