Novel Current Collector for High Energy Density Lithium-Metal Batteries

Abstract

The energy density of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) relies to a substantial fraction on the thickness of the lithium-metal anode.1,2 Additionally, the commonly used copper current collector adds a significant mass to the electrode weight (e.g., 77% when considering a 50 μm thick lithium and 10 μm thick copper), but the thinner the lithium foil, the more important becomes the current collector to provide suitable mechanical properties and ensure a good electronic contact across the whole negative electrode.Herein, we report the design of a novel current collector (patent application pending) that enables a substantial reduction in mass, while providing high electronic conductivity and suitable mechanical properties. Moreover, LMBs with a thin lithium foil and a Ni-rich NMC cathode comprising such new current collector reveal a superior performance compared to those containing a standard copper foil. References 1 Liu, J. et al. Pathways for practical high-energy long-cycling lithium metal batteries. Nat. Energy 4, 180-186, (2019).2 Niu, C. et al. Balancing interfacial reactions to achieve long cycle life in high-energy lithium metal batteries. Nat. Energy, 6, 723–732, (2021).