Enhancing cycle stability of Li metal anode by using polymer separators coated with Ti-containing solid electrolytes

Abstract

The employment of lithium metal anode in rechargeable lithium batteries has been hindered by the safety concerns which are associated with the uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth and the unceasing side reactions with liquid electrolytes. In this work, we report that the use of Ti-containing solid electrolyte-coated separators can greatly enhance the cycle performances of lithium metal anode in cells using liquid electrolytes. The detailed morphologic studies indicate that more uniform lithium deposition is achieved in cells using Ti-containing solid electrolyte-coated separators than that using Al2O3-coated separators, which is likely due to the modified anode and electrolyte interfacial properties induced by the reactive nature of Ti-containing solid electrolytes with metallic lithium. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to enhance the homogeneity of lithium deposition, which leads to the stable cycling of lithium metal anode in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Texture intensity decreases by the increase in the amount of alloying elements