January

Picture of the Month - January 2021

In-Depth Characterization of Lithium Metal Surfaces

The use of lithium metal as anode is an intensively explored option to significantly increase the energy density of batteries. As lithium is highly reactive, its surface is natively covered with a passivation layer that affects the cell performance. However, the passivation layer is mostly not considered and characterized. Therefore, we systematically characterized various lithium samples with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and complementary energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), to give a complete three-dimensional chemical picture of the surface passivation layer. Besides, we explored the factors influencing the passivation layer and the experimental design which is needed to reliably characterize a highly reactive analyte like lithium.

Svenja-K. Otto et al. accepted for publication at ACS Chemistry of Materials

This picture was submitted by Dr. Anja Henß.

Further insights into the research activities of the ZfM groups can be found in the Gallery.