Engineering Electrodeposition for Next-generation Batteries

The redox reaction has been utilized since ancient times. This utilization is due, in part, to the simplicity of the reaction and the ubiquity of the materials involved. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest from the battery research community in the development of metal anodes that rely solely on this type of simple metal redox reaction, also known as the plating/stripping or, interchangeably, the deposition/dissolution reaction in the electrochemistry context. The metal anodes feature simple redox chemistry by design and remarkably improved energy density. Metal electrodes of this kind, especially Li, have been dubbed the "Holy Grail" for battery anodes.