Self-Supporting Dendritic Copper Porous Film Inducing the Lateral Growth of Metallic Lithium for Highly Stable Li Metal Battery

Abstract

Lithium metal is recognized as the most promising anode candidate for advanced high-energy-density batteries. However, uncontrolled vertical growth of Li dendrites will induce short-circuit and cause rapid capacity loss, which hinders the practical application of rechargeable Li-metal batteries. The regulation of Li dendrites from vertical to lateral growth may be an effective strategy to solve the problems. Herein, a self-supporting dendritic copper porous film as host matrix of lithium is constructed by a one-step facile and cost-effective electrodeposition on gas-liquid-solid interface to inhibit the vertical growth of Li dendrites. Li nucleates on the surface of copper nanoparticles and grows laterally by the induced action of lateral copper dendrites consisting of nanoparticles. Meanwhile, copper porous film with dendritic walls provides more nucleation sites for uniform Li deposition and space for Li storage. On this basis, high and stable Coulombic efficiency of 98% after 600 cycles at 1 mA cm−2 and prolong lifespan of 2400 h in the symmetric cell are achieved. Coupled with a LiFePO4 cathode, the full cell exhibits good rate performance and cycle stability with capacity retention of 82.4% for 250 cycles at 1 C. It provides a simple but effective way to realize a stable Li metal-based anode.