The Effect of Battery Configuration on Dendritic Growth: A Magnetic Resonance Microscopy Study on Symmetric Lithium Cells

Abstract

The potential of metallic lithium to become the anode material for next-generation batteries is hampered by significant challenges, chief among which is dendrite growth during battery charging. These dendritic structures not only impair battery performance but also pose safety risks. Among the non-destructive analytical techniques in battery research, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) stands out as a promising tool. However, the direct imaging of lithium by 7Li MRI is limited by its low sensitivity and spatial resolution, making it a less effective way of imaging dendrite growth. Instead, a recently introduced indirect imaging approach which is based on 1H MRI of the electrolyte was used in this study. This method was used to sequentially 3D image and thus monitor the charging process of lithium metal symmetric cells in three different electrical circuits, namely those composed of a single cell, four cells in parallel, and four cells in series. The measured sequential images allowed for the measurement of dendrite growth in each cell using volumetric analysis. The growth results confirmed the theoretical prediction that the growth across cells is uneven in a parallel circuit, and even in a series circuit. The methods presented in this study can also be applied to analyze many other dendrite-related issues in batteries.