Towards Stable Li-metal electrodefor rechargeable batteries

Abstract: Different types of alumina containing coatings were made on lithiumand copper in the purpose to mechanically hinder the growth ofdendrites. Lithium, coated with polymer-alumina composites wereplaced in symmetric cells for in situ studies by a light microscope.The coatings did not block the dendrites, but they did change thegrowth rate and morphology of them, probably throw both chemicalinteractions and changes in ion transportation. Also the stability ofcapacity were tested for the same coatings, the result showed abigger capacity drop for cells containing coated lithium versus cellswithout coatings.Attempted alumina coatings were also made by a solgel technique, bydirect reaction with the compound trimethylaluminium and with analumina containing acetonitrile solution.The theses also includes a study of the stability of lithium inadiponitrile. A higher amount of LiTFSI salt in adiponitrile could bythis study be reported to inhibit the dissolution of lithium that wasseen for lower salt concentrations. The dissolution appeared when thesolution was used as an electrolyte in a symmetric lithium cell. Somedifferences could be seen when the lithium surface were studied byXPS after interaction with high, low and zero concentration LiTFSI.Both the XPS studies and the absences of lithium dissolutionindicates that a more or less stable SEI had been formed.