Controllable and Homogeneous Lithium Electrodeposition via Lithiophilic Anchor Points

Abstract

Uncontrollable growth of lithium (Li) dendrites and low Coulombic efficiency induce security hazards and a short cycling lifespan of Li metal batteries. In this study, well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a periodic three-dimensional (3D) copper mesh (CM) are modified as lithiophilic anchor points to regulate the electrodeposition behavior of Li metal anodes. The in situ generated LiZn/Li 2 O arrays can efficiently guide the homogeneous Li electrodeposition along the nanorods. The porous structure of CM provides void space for the well-controlled lateral growth of Li starting from nanorod arrays. Moreover, the high surface area generated by both CM and the ZnO nanorods favors the charge transfer with low local current densities along the anode. Compared with bare Li anodes, Li-ZnO@CM anodes exhibited prolonged cycling stability for symmetric cells and superior capacity retention within Li/LiFePO 4 full cells, demonstrating the effective design principles of ZnO@CM for stabilizing Li metal batteries.

Review of Nanoarrays in Lithium Metal Anodes

“…In addition to this, the interaction between CF and Li is weaker, which can make Li deposition more inhomogeneous. , Also, the effect on Li deposition is different for different structures of the 3D Cu substrate. For example, Wang et al measured the difference in the affinity of their prepared Li-ZnO@CM current collector (Figure a) compared to conventional CF and CM, and the Li||CM half-cells were able to perform more cycles at 0.5 mA cm –2 , 1 mA h cm –2 compared to CF (Figure b). Zhang et al prepared ultrathin 3D current collectors (CMMC) by growing uniform Cu x O nanowires on ultrathin, ultraflexible copper–metal microgrids (Figure c).…”

“…(b) Coulombic efficiency of Li plating/stripping during the repeated cycles of CF, CM, and ZnO@CM at current densities of 0.5 mA cm –2 . Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2022 American Chemical Society.…”

Insights into Electrode Architectures and Lithium‐Ion Transport in Polycrystalline V2O5 Cathodes of Solid‐State Batteries

“…Since 1990, the global growing rapidly demands for electricity, energy storage, and technologies have become a significant research front. Despite liquid-state lithiumion batteries (LLBs) have played a major role in the field of energy storage with the long cycle life and high energy density, [1][2][3] the aspects such as their power density, availability, and safety problems caused by lithium dendrites remain to be completely addressed. [4] Because of the nonflammability and good workability of the polymer-based electrolyte, solid-state batteries (SSBs) are expected to be an important alternative to LLBs.…”