Suppressing dendritic metallic Li formation on graphite anode under battery fast charging

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with fast-charging capability are essential for enhancing consumer experience and accelerating the global market adoption of electric vehicles. However, achieving fast-charging capability without compromising energy density, cycling lifespan, and safety of LIBs remains a significant challenge due to the formation of dendritic Li metal on graphite anode under fast charging condition. In view of this, the fundamentals for the dendritic metallic Li formation and the strategies for suppressing metallic Li plating based on analyzing the entire Li+ transport pathway at the anode including electrolyte, pore structure of electrode, and surface and bulk of materials are summarized and discussed in this review. Besides, we highlight the importance of designing thick electrodes with fast Li+ transport kinetics and comprehensively understanding the interaction between solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and Li+ migration in order to avoid the formation of dendritic Li metal in practical fast-charging batteries. Finally, the regulation of Li metal plating with plane morphology, instead of dendritic structure, on the surface of graphite electrode under fast-charging condition is analyzed as a future direction to achieve higher energy density of batteries without safety concerns.