Three-dimensional visualization of lithium metal anode via low-dose cryogenic electron microscopy tomography
Xiangyan Li,
Bing Han,
Xuming Yang,
Zhipeng Deng,
Yucheng Zou,
Xiaobo Shi,
Liping Wang,
Yusheng Zhao,
Sudong Wu,
Meng Gu
Affiliations
Xiangyan Li
Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Bing Han
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Corresponding author
Xuming Yang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Zhipeng Deng
Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Yucheng Zou
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Xiaobo Shi
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Liping Wang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Materials for Electric Power, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shenzhen 518055, China
Yusheng Zhao
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Materials for Electric Power, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Shenzhen 518055, China
Sudong Wu
Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Corresponding author
Meng Gu
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Corresponding author
Summary: The structure of lithium (Li) metal anode, including the Li metal and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), is critical to the investigation of cycle stability or decay mechanisms. The three-dimensional (3D) visualization of Li metal and SEI, however, has not been demonstrated yet, owing to the lack of 3D characterization techniques and the susceptibility of Li metal anode toward oxygen, moisture, as well as electron beam. Herein, we introduce a successful 3D presentation of deposited Li metal and SEI established via low-dose cryogenic electron microscopy tomography. The Li metal anode is imaged in low-dose mode at different tilt angles and then aligned and reconstructed into a 3D image through an expectation-maximization algorithm. The spherical Li deposits and SEI are confirmed in the 3D tomography of Li metal anode. It is also discovered that the Li metal corrodes and SEI turns concave owing to possible self-discharge after long-time rest.
