Optimization of charge curve for the extreme inhibition of growing microstructures during electrodeposition

Abstract

The formation of branched microstructures during the electrodeposition is a catastrophic event, which hampers the safe utilization of the metallic electrodes in rechargeable batteries. Focusing on the nonlinear growth dynamics of the dendritic microstructures, we tune the rate of the feeding charge against their growth pace to minimize the amount of the dendritic branching, while maintaining a constant feeding charge. The ultimate morphology of the electrodeposits has been shown to be more compact than the conventional uniform charging in terms of the density of the electrodeposits. Due to analytical derivation and the coupled development of the optimal charge form with respect to the natural kinetics of dendritic evolution in real time, we infer that it prevents the branching of the electrodeposits to the greatest extent, during the stochastic evolution of the dendrites.

Group Members

William A. Goddard III

Charles and Mary Ferkel Professor