The vertically network modifications on Li/Garnet interface for prolonging Li metal batteries life

Abstract

The Li dendrites can penetrate the hard garnet ceramics in the solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs), severely impairing the cycle life of the battery. Herein, a facile Li/Garnets interface modification strategy is reported to mitigate the adverse effects of Li dendrite penetration, which refers to the insertion of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with vertically aligned nanoscale channels at the Li/Garnets interface. As a result, the AAO membranes can confine the deposited Li metal in channels during cycling and induce the Li metal across the channels to continue to depositing uniformly on AAO surface. Furthermore, the deposited Li metal tends to react with AAO to form Li-Al-O compounds, which strengthens the confinement effects to Li metal. The results demonstrate that the full cell with Li/Garnets interface modified by 300 nm aperture AAO exhibits excellent cycling performance, which remain discharge specific of 93.5mAh g−1 (initial: 138.1mAh g−1) after stable operating 716 cycles at 0.2 C. The Li/Li symmetric battery can stably cycle above 1000 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 and 100 h under 1 mA cm−2. This facile method of directly inserting nanoscale vertically aligned network into Li/Garnets interface provides a new approach to promote application of garnets ceramics in SSLMBs.