Recent studies of interfacial phenomena which determine the electrochemical behavior of lithium and lithiated carbon anodes with the emphasis on in situ techniques

This paper reports on some new results on the application of surface sensitive techniques for the study of the correlation of surface chemistry, morphology and electrochemical behavior of lithium and lithiated graphite as anodes for rechargeable batteries. Surface sensitive FTIR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) were applied to Li and Li-graphite electrodes in a variety of electrolyte solutions of interest, in conjunction with standard electrochemical techniques. The similarity in the surface chemistry developed on Li and lithiated graphite in solutions is demonstrated and discussed. We demonstrate the strong impact of the surface chemistry on the morphology of Li deposition-dissolution processes and the use of in situ EQCM measurements for the choice of optimal electrolyte solutions for rechargeable batteries with Li metal anodes.