A flexible artificial solid-electrolyte interlayer supported by compactness-tailored carbon nanotube network for dendrite-free lithium metal anode

Abstract

A dendrite-free lithium metal anode requires a stable interface designed for efficient and reversible lithium plating and stripping. In this work, we have devised a mechanically flexible artificial Li3N solid-electrolyte interlayer supported by a dual-layer compactness-tailored carbon nanotube fiber network. The more compact side of the network ensures a full coverage of Li3N, which prevents the reaction between electrolyte and lithium. The other side, with sparsely distributed nanotube fibers, provides mechanical flexibility for the film, and induces three-dimensional lithium deposition along its structure without any dendrite formation. The resulting full cell with NCM811 cathode has a high capacity retention of 95.1% for 160 cycles compared with less than 80% for the control.