Advanced Current Collectors Towards Stable Li Metal Anode

Abstract

Metallic lithium (Li) is a promising anode material for next generation rechargeable batteries. However, the dendrite growth of Li and repeated formation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) during Li plating and stripping result in low Coulombic efficiency, internal short circuit, and capacity decay, hampering its practical application. In the development of stable Li metal anode, the current collector has been recognized as a critical component to regulate Li plating. In this work, a lithiophilic hybrid structure was synthesized as a current collector for Li metal anodes. The low over-potential for Li nucleation and the uniform Li+ ion flux induced by the current collector enabled effective suppression of the growth of Li dendrites. As a result, the hybrid current collector achieved a Coulombic efficiency above 95% for 200 cycles at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 and stable repeated Li plating and stripping in a symmetric cell.