Lithium metal is recognized as one of the most promising anode materials owing to its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. Nonetheless, dendritic Li growth has dramatically hindered the practical applications of Li metal anodes. Realizing spherical Li deposition is an effective approach to avoid Li dendrite growth, but the mechanism of spherical deposition is unknown. Herein, a diffusion-reaction competition mechanism is proposed to reveal the rationale of different Li deposition morphologies. By controlling the rate-determining step (diffusion or reaction) of Li deposition, various Li deposition scenarios are realized, in which the diffusion-controlled process tends to lead to dendritic Li deposition while the reaction-controlled process leads to spherical Li deposition. This study sheds fresh light on the dendrite-free Li metal anode and guides to achieve safe batteries to benefit future wireless and fossil-fuel-free world.

中文翻译：

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锂金属电池量身定制锂电池的扩散反应竞争机制。

锂金属由于其超高的理论比容量和低的电化学势而被认为是最有希望的阳极材料之一。尽管如此，枝状锂的生长已经极大地阻碍了锂金属阳极的实际应用。实现球形锂沉积是避免锂枝晶生长的有效方法，但球形沉积的机理尚不清楚。本文提出了一种扩散反应竞争机制，以揭示不同的锂沉积形态的基本原理。通过控制Li沉积的速率确定步骤（扩散或反应），可以实现各种Li沉积方案，其中扩散控制的过程倾向于导致枝状Li沉积，而反应控制的过程倾向于导致球形Li沉积。