Analysis of Dendrite Growth in Secondary Zinc Cells via EIS Analysis

Abstract

In this thesis, we explore the ability to classify the change of impedance effects with relation to the surface morphology of dendritic zinc growth via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. EIS signals provide detailed information about the various resistance effects present in a system, and about the regions in which they dominate. However, little work has been done into correlating this information with the surface morphology of dendrite growth to understand how these impedance effects change over time. The relative changes of these effects will hopefully enable us to understand the dominance of interface mechanisms at various points in time.

In order to do this, we present a microfluidic chip design that is quick and easy to manufacture. We discuss the various models that were explored, the challenges present in constructing such a sample, and the choices that led to the final iteration. Finally, in this thesis, we examine the EIS data that was collected from these samples, and give a qualitative analysis of the reliability of the signals and the trends present in the dataset. We conclude by presenting a road map for further quantitative analysis of the data, and possible future steps in exploring the topic.