Rechargeable lithium cells with dendrite-free electrodeposited lithium on aluminium as negative electrode

The dendrite-free cathodic deposition of lithium on an aluminium substrate and its anodic stripping are found to occur reversibly within ±0.1 V versus Li/Li+ in an aprotic electrolyte. It is possible to envisage a novel route to realise rechargeable Li (Al)–LiCoO2 and Li (Al)–LiMn2O4 cells. Several rechargeable Li (Al)–LiCoO2 and Li (Al)–LiMn2O4 cells of varying capacities up to 65 mAh have been assembled in-house, and evaluated at different charge–discharge rates as well as at various temperatures. Consistent capacity values are obtained with these rechargeable cells over about 50 cycles.