dendrites

In a study that could improve the safety of next-generation batteries, researchers have shown that additives placed in the electrolyte of a lithium metal battery prevented the formation of dendrites  the key sources of battery shorts and fires.

The findings, published June 17 in Nature Communications, could help remove a major barrier to developing lithium-sulfur and lithium-air batteries, promising future technologies that could store up to 10 times more energy per weight than batteries now used in consumer electronics and electric cars.