A neotype carbon-based Ni foam achieved by commercial strategy towards smooth and light Li metal anodes

Abstract

Commercial Ni foam (NF) as substrate is widely used in lithium metal anode for uniform Li deposition and dendrite-free condition by reduced local current density. However, it's high mass density of 8.902 g cm−3 and bulky skeleton tend to the heavy weight, which remarkedly decreases the energy density of lithium metal batteries. Herein, three-dimensions carbon foam completely coated by Ni metal (Ni@CMF) is fabricated as an alternative to NF through commercial electroless Ni plating. The noneffective inner Ni metal, occupying most of mass and volume of NF, is masterly replaced by light carbon foam, which is carbonized from cost-effective melamine foam (MF), resulting in sharply reduced areal density from ∼24.8 mg cm−2 to ∼2.2 mg cm−2 and improved electrochemical performance compared with commercial NF. As a result, the superior Coulombic efficiency stability of 240 cycles for Ni@CMF substrate is achieved companying reduced Li nucleation overpotential of ∼11 mV compared with that of NF (∼53 mV). Moreover, the pouch Li metal full cell enlightens the light-emitting diode (LED) lights in both flat and deformation states. The neotype Ni foam, proposed in this work, with huge commercial value can be produced in large scale in lighter weight, lower cost and enhanced property.