Phase-Field Investigation of Lithium Electrodeposition at Different Applied Overpotentials and Operating Temperatures.

Li metal is an exciting anode for high-energy Li-ion batteries and other future battery technologies due to its high energy density and low redox potential. Despite their high promise, the commercialization of Li-metal-based batteries has been hampered due to the formation of dendrites that lead to mechanical instability, energy loss, and eventual internal short circuits. In recent years, the mechanism of dendrite formation and the strategies to suppress their growth have been studied intensely. However, the effect of applied overpotential and operating temperature on dendrite formation and their growth rate remains to be fully understood. Here, we elucidate the correlation between the applied overpotential and operating temperature to the dendrite height and tortuosity of the Li-metal surface during electrodeposition using phase-field model simulations. We identify an optimal operating temperature of a half-cell consisting of a Li metal anode and 1 M LiPF