Bimetallic metal-organic frameworks -derived lithiophilic and conductive MnO/Co/C enabled intermittent deposition model for high-performance lithium metal anode

Abstract

The design of lithiophilic three-dimensional (3D) skeletons has proven to be effective in inhibiting dendrite growth and improving the Coulombic efficiency of lithium metal anodes (LMAs). However, for the 3D skeletons with homogenous lithiophilicity, Li would preferentially deposit on the top of 3D collectors, what's more, the intrinsic low electrical conductivity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived oxides which are often employed as the lithiophilic materials on 3D skeletons affects their electrochemical kinetics. We firstly prepare MnO/Co/C derived from MnCo-MOFs on carbon cloths (CC) by a simple method and a composite anode (Li-CC@MnO/Co/C) is obtained. The synergistic effect of the electrical conductivity of Co and lithiophilicity of MnO facilitates their electrochemical kinetics. The Li-CC@MnO/Co/C composite anode exhibites long cycle life and low hysteretic voltage in the symmetrical cell with a high areal capacity and current density (5 mA h cm−2, 5 mA cm−2) and a steady cycle performance of 80 mA h g−1 at 10 C for nearly 300 cycles in easter-based electrolyte. This work might propose a rational design for a high-performance LMA, particularly suitable for practical applications.