Modeling the influence of the solid electrolyte interphase on the sand’s time and dendrite formation on lithium metal electrodes

Journal Article · Mon Feb 16 00:00:00 UTC 2026 · Discover Electrochemistry

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44373-026-00110-9 · OSTI ID:3020866

Cross, Nicholas R. ^[1]; Lin, Tiras Y. ^[1]; Brady, Nicholas W. ^[1]; Selvasundarasekar, Sam Sankar ^[2]; Ehlinger, Victoria M. ^[1]; Roy, Thomas ^[1]; Li, Hanyu ^[1]; Akolkar, Rohan ^[2]; Worsley, Marcus A. ^[1]; Orme, Christine ^[1]; Bucci, Giovanna ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

Lithium metal is a sought after battery material for its high energy density due to the low electrochemical potential and density. However, lithium metal is also highly reactive, which results in a strong propensity for dendrite formation. The Sand’s time has previously been used to predict the time of dendrite initiation on metals that do not form a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), but it has been shown that the Sand’s time is not accurate for lithium electrodes when using transport parameters associated with the electrolyte. Thus, we built a numerical model to simulate lithium ion transport through a growing SEI to predict the Sand’s time. The numerical model is shown to be more accurate than previous analytical solutions, especially for low current densities. We then analyze the sensitivity of the Sand’s time to different SEI properties and the chemical potential gradients present in the SEI, driving lithium transport. The results showed that high lithium concentration has a greater impact at high current density, while fast diffusivity is more important at low current density. Lastly, we modeled the influence of surface roughness on the plating evolution and chemical potential gradients when an SEI is present in comparison to the electrolyte. As a result, we demonstrate that the SEI plays a critical role in lithium electrode stability, and that improved characterization techniques are needed to better understand transport through the SEI and increase lithium metal utilization in energy storage devices.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344
• OSTI ID: 3020866
• Report Number(s): LLNL--JRNL-2008837
• Journal Information: Discover Electrochemistry, Journal Name: Discover Electrochemistry Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 3; ISSN 3005-1215
• Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLCCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English