Problems related to dendrite growth on lithium-metal anodes such as capacity loss and short circuit present major barriers to next-generation high-energy-density batteries. The development of successful lithium dendrite mitigation strategies is impeded by an incomplete understanding of the Li dendrite growth mechanisms, and in particular, Li-plating-induced internal stress in Li metal and its effect on Li growth morphology are not well addressed. Here, we reveal the enabling role of plating residual stress in dendrite formation through depositing Li on soft substrates and a stress-driven dendrite growth model. We show that dendrite growth is mitigated on such soft substrates through surface-wrinkling-induced stress relaxation in the deposited Li film. We demonstrate that this dendrite mitigation mechanism can be utilized synergistically with other existing approaches in the form of three-dimensional soft scaffolds for Li plating, which achieves higher coulombic efficiency and better capacity retention than that for conventional copper substrates.

与锂金属阳极上枝晶生长有关的问题，例如容量损失和短路，是下一代高能量密度电池的主要障碍。对锂枝晶生长机制的不完全了解阻碍了成功的锂枝晶缓解策略的发展，尤其是锂电镀引起的锂金属内应力及其对锂生长形态的影响还没有得到很好的解决。在这里，我们揭示了通过在软基板上沉积锂和应力驱动的枝晶生长模型，在枝晶形成过程中残余应力的电镀中所起的作用。我们表明，通过在沉积的Li膜中表面起皱引起的应力松弛，在这种软质衬底上，树枝状晶体的生长得到了缓解。