In‐situ Lithiated SiO₂ as Lithium‐Free Anode for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries

Abstract

Lithium-sulfur (LiÀ S) batteries are attractive owing to their high energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, the practical application of LiÀ S batteries is hindered by uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth and severe polysulfide shuttling during cycling. Here, we fabricated 100 nm thin SiO 2 decorated on carbon cloth (SiO 2 @CC). It is observed that in-situ lithiation of SiO 2 forms a highly lithiophilic Li x SiO y layer over SiO 2 which further acts as an efficient host for dendrite-free lithium metal deposition. So lithiated SiO 2 @CC shows high affinity for homogenous growth of Li while the carbon fibers control the volume change during the deposition/stripping process. Hence, the synergistic effect of Li x SiO y layer and carbon cloth (CC) effectively suppresses dendritic Li growth. As a result, the symmetric cell exhibits an ultra-stable cycling performance over 1000 h with a low overpotential of < 25 mV even at a high current density of 1 mA cm À 2 . Further, the lithiated SiO 2 @CC is used as a lithium metal-free anode (also a flexible electrode) for LiÀ S battery, which exhibits a stable capacity of 800 mAh g À 1 over 500 cycles due to its unique structural properties. This work offers new insights and paves the way for developing dendrite-free, high-performance LiÀ S battery technology.

An examination and prospect of stabilizing Li metal anode in lithium–sulfur batteries: A review of latest progress

“…39 Besides, SiO 2 -coated 3D carbon cloth as a robust interlayer offers not only an SEI consisting of Li x SiO y but also mechanical flexibility and an available conductive surface area. 170 Organic SEIs: Li et al 163 introduced a novel polymer hybrid SEI by grafting PAN from yttriastabilized zirconia nanoparticles (YSZ NPs) (Figure 7D). The resulting "hairy" NPs exhibited excellent dispersibility in DMSO, and the solution showed evenly distributed solute distribution with high inorganic content.…”

“…The atomic layered MoS 2 structure, combined with its unique phase‐change characteristics (semiconductor to metallic transition), enables the insertion of a sea of Li atoms, enhancing Li‐ion transport 39 . Besides, SiO 2 ‐coated 3D carbon cloth as a robust interlayer offers not only an SEI consisting of Li x SiO y but also mechanical flexibility and an available conductive surface area 170 …”