Li-based anode: Is dendrite-free sufficient?

Achieving non-dendritic Li deposition is generally believed to be a prerequisite for the successful commercialization of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, it is discussed here that eliminating the growth of the dendritic Li structure seems not to be sufficient to propel the LMB technology from laboratory research to practical applications. Other types of the electrochemically generated Li structure, besides the dendritic structure, must be further studied. It is suggested that considerable research effort be focused on studying the electrochemical nature of generated Li structures, in addition to finding novel strategies to eradicate them.