Suppress Li Dendrite Growth Research Articles

Reversible Li plating regulation on graphite anode through a barium sulfate nanofibers-based dielectric separator for fast charging and high-safety lithium-ion battery

Poor Li plating reversibility and high thermal runaway risks are key challenges for fast charging lithium-ion batteries with graphite anodes. Herein, a dielectric and fire-resistant separator based on hybrid nanofibers of barium sulfate (BS) and bacterial cellulose (BC) is developed to synchronously enhance the battery’s fast charging and thermal-safety performances. The regulation mechanism of the dielectric BS/BC separator in enhancing the Li+ ion transport and Li plating reversibility is revealed. (1) The Max-Wagner polarization electric field of the dielectric BS/BC separator can accelerate the desolvation of solvated Li+ ions, enhancing their transport kinetics. (2) Moreover, due to the charge balancing effect, the dielectric BS/BC separator homogenizes the electric field/Li+ ion flux at the graphite anode-separator interface, facilitating uniform Li plating and suppressing Li dendrite growth. Consequently, the fast-charge graphite anode with the BS/BC separator shows higher Coulombic efficiency (99.0% vs. 96.9%) and longer cycling lifespan (100 cycles vs. 59 cycles) than that with the polypropylene (PP) separator in the constant-lithiation cycling test at 2 mA cm−2. The high-loading LiFePO4 (15.5 mg cm−2)//graphite (7.5 mg cm−2) full cell with the BS/BC separator exhibits excellent fast charging performance, retaining 70% of its capacity after 500 cycles at a high rate of 2 C, which is significantly better than that of the cell with the PP separator (retaining only 27% of its capacity after 500 cycles). More importantly, the thermally stable BS/BC separator effectively elevates the critical temperature and reduces the heat release rate during thermal runaway, thereby significantly enhancing the battery’s safety.

In-situ construction of high-performance artificial solid electrolyte interface layer on anode surfaces for anode-free lithium metal batteries

The electrochemical performance of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) was hampered by the uncontrolled growth of lithium (Li) dendrites. To address this issue, the extensive application of artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) coatings on anode surfaces emerged as an effective solution. Electrospinning, as an innovative technique for fabricating artificial SEI layers on the surface of copper (Cu) foil, effectively mitigated Li volume strain during cycling. In this study, an electrospun organic–inorganic composite nanofiber membrane was in-situ fabricated on Cu foil, serving as an artificial SEI layer (CuWs) for anode-free LMBs (AF-LMBs) to enhance battery performance. Lithiophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as the polymer matrix, and Cu nitrate served as the inorganic functional particles capable of in-situ redox reactions. The CuWs with their three-dimensional (3D) network structure accommodated electrode volume changes and suppressed Li dendrite growth during Li deposition and stripping. Additionally, CuWs facilitated the in-situ generation of Li nitrate (LiNO3), which helped stabilize SEI layer and enhance Li utilization. The release sites of LiNO3 on the nanofibers enabled the in-situ reduction of metallic Cu, providing nucleation sites for Li deposition and forming the 3D ion–electron hybrid conductive networks. This CuWs layer reduced interfacial resistance and nucleation barriers, promoting uniform Li+ distribution on the anode surface. Li-Cu cells incorporating CuWs exhibited remarkable cycling stability, enduring over 460 cycles at 1.0 mA cm−2 and 1.0 mAh cm−2 with an average Coulombic efficiency of over 98.6 %. In Li-poor cells, the LFP|PE|CuWs achieved stable cycling for more than 30 cycles at 1.0 C, with a capacity retention rate of 92.0 %. These findings demonstrated that the CuWs membrane significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance of Li-poor cells and provided a novel artificial SEI protective strategy for advanced AF-LMBs with high energy density.

A modified separator based on ternary mixed-oxide for stable lithium metal batteries

Li metal batteries (LMBs) are among the most promising options for next-generation secondary batteries under the rapidly growing demand for high-energy–density electrochemical energy storage. However, the implementation of LMBs are hindered by major obstacles such as dentritic Li deposition and low cycling Coulombic efficiency. A practical functional separator is developed in this study, which consists of a Lewis acidic mixed oxide of ZrO2-SiO2-Al2O3 as a functional coating with anion anchoring ability to modulate ion transport in the vicinity of the Li metal anode, delivering a high Li+ transference number of 0.88 in carbonate electrolytes that suppresses dendrite formation. The strong Lewis acid sites in ZrO2-SiO2-Al2O3 originate from coordinatively unsaturated Zr4+ ions, which immobilize anions and reduce their decomposition rate. This significantly improves the chemical stability of the electrolyte and induces a more stable solid electrolyte interphase layer. The modified separator enables an anode-free cell containing a high-loading LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode to present stable charge and discharge cycling for 150 cycles at 0.5C. By effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth and supporting the long-term operation of anode-free LMBs, this study offers a novel approach to rationally design mixed oxides with high Lewis acidity for functional separators.

Turning waste into wealth: Li2CO3 impurity conversion into ionic conductive and lithiophlic interphase for garnet-based solid-state lithium batteries

Garnet-type solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) show great potential because of high ionic conductivity and steadiness against metallic Li. However, the unstable property of garnet in air and poor interface contact with Li metal dramatically influence the electrochemical performance. In this manuscript, TiO2 gel is coated on the surface of Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 (LLZTO) pellets by a spin coating process, to remove the surface impurity and in-situ construct an air-stable and lithiophilic LixTiyOz (LTO) layer on the garnet electrolyte surface. The LTO interface layer can enhance interface contact, improve ionic transport and suppress Li dendrite growth. The low interfacial resistance (18.40 Ω cm2) in Li|LTO@LLZTO|Li symmetric cells manifests good wettability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicate that the modification layer owns higher work of adhesion and interfacial energy, suggesting excellent stability and inhibition in Li dendrite growth. Specifically, the Li symmetric cells with LTO-modified electrolyte show an enhanced critical current density of 0.9 mA cm−2 and outstanding capability to survive long cycling over 5000 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. The assembled LiFePO4-based full cell displays both high reversible capacity and cycling capability. This work provides a promising strategy to take advantage of interfacial Li2CO3 impurities on the garnet electrolytes.

(Invited) Developing Periodically-Aligned Fibrous Structures to Suppress Lithium Dendrites for Anode-Free Batteries

We have developed electrospinning-based manufacturing capability for dendrite-free anode-free and anode-less batteries. Electrospinning is a widely used, feasible manufacturing approach to create nano- and micro-porous layers of functional fibers. By tailoring fiber compositions, the electrospun layers can afford a wide variety of functionalities applicable to biomedical templates, separation membranes, and energy storage. Its manufacturing capability is, however, limited to producing randomly oriented fibrous structures. Topology and tortuosity of the electrospun fibrous layers are poorly controlled, making it difficult to systematically investigate structure-property relationships for any given applications, especially electrochemical systems.In this presentation, we will demonstrate how to improve the controllability of fiber construction geometry by electrospinning. Unlike conventional electrospinning, our approach employs a mobile stage that allows precise alignment of fibers. Produced fibrous structures will be used to construct current collectors of the anode-free batteries, one of the proposed beyond-lithium (Li)-ion battery systems for high energy density. While direct, yet reversible, Li plating and stripping on and from the current collector has proven difficult due to uncontrolled dendrite growth, we found that the flat copper foil reinforced by the three-dimensional fibrous structure can enhance Li storage efficiency over an extended number of cycles, outperforming the planar case. We will discuss the effect of fiber compositions and controlled geometrical configurations on stabilizing Li plating and stripping morphologies to suppress Li dendrite growth and provide a fundamental design principle to construct anode-free and anode-less battery cells. Battery manufacturing advanced by this work will offer a systematic strategy to develop next-generation energy storage systems for a sustainable energy future.

Oxygenated carbon nitride‐based high‐energy‐density lithium‐metal batteries

AbstractLithium (Li)‐metal batteries with polymer electrolytes are promising for high‐energy‐density and safe energy storage applications. However, current polymer electrolytes suffer either low ionic conductivity or inadequate ability to suppress Li dendrite growth at high current densities. This study addresses both issues by incorporating two‐dimensional oxygenated carbon nitride (2D OCN) into a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)‐based composite polymer electrolyte and modifying the Li anode with OCN. The OCN nanosheets incorporated PVDF electrolyte exhibits a high ionic conductivity (1.6 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 25°C) and Li+ transference number (0.62), wide electrochemical window (5.3), and excellent fire resistance. Furthermore, the OCN‐modified Li anode in situ generates a protective layer of Li3N during cycling, preventing undesirable reactions with PVDF electrolyte and effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth. Symmetric cells using the upgraded PVDF polymer electrolyte and modified Li anode demonstrate long cycling stability over 2500 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. Full cells with a high‐voltage LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode exhibit high energy density and long‐term cycling stability, even at a high loading of 8.2 mg cm−2. Incorporating 2D OCN nanosheets into the PVDF‐based electrolyte and Li‐metal anode provides an effective strategy for achieving safe and high‐energy‐density Li‐metal batteries.

Sustaining Surface Lithiophilicity of Ultrathin Li-Alloy Coating Layers on Current Collector for Zero-Excess Li-Metal Batteries.

Zero-excess Li-metal batteries (ZE-LMBs) have emerged as the ultimate battery platform, offering an exceptionally high energy density. However, the absence of Li-hosting materials results in uncontrolled dendritic Li deposition on the Cu current collector, leading to chronic loss of Li inventory and severe electrolyte decomposition, limiting its full utilization upon cycling. This study presents the application of ultrathin (≈50nm) coatings comprising six metallic layers (Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, W, and Fe) on Cu substrates in order to provide insights into the design of Li-depositing current collectors for stable ZE-LMB operation. In contrast to non-alloy Cu, W, and Fe coatings, Ag, Au, and Pt coatings can enhance surface lithiophilicity, effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth, thereby improving Li reversibility. Considering the distinct Li-alloying behaviors, particularly solid-solution and/or intermetallic phase formation, Pt-coated Cu current collectors maintain surface lithiophilicity over repeated Li plating/stripping cycles by preserving the original coating layer, thereby attaining better cycling performance of ZE-LMBs. This highlights the importance of selecting suitable Li-alloy metals to sustain surface lithiophilicity throughout cycling to regulate dendrite-less Li plating and improve the electrochemical stability of ZE-LMBs.

Regulation of Interfacial Chemistry Enabling High-Power Dual-Ion Batteries at Low Temperatures.

Interfacial chemistry plays a crucial role in determining the electrochemical properties of low-temperature rechargeable batteries. Although existing interface engineering has significantly improved the capacity of rechargeable batteries operating at low temperatures, challenges such as sharp voltage drops and poor high-rate discharge capabilities continue to limit their applications in extreme environments. In this study, an energy-level-adaptive design strategy for electrolytes to regulate interfacial chemistry in low-temperature Li||graphite dual-ion batteries (DIBs) is proposed. This strategy enables the construction of robust interphases with superior ion-transfer kinetics. On the graphite cathode, the design endues the cathode interface with solvent/anion-coupled interfacial chemistry, which yields an nitrogen/phosphor/sulfur/fluorin (N/P/S/F)-containing organic-rich interphase to boost anion-transfer kinetics and maintains excellent interfacial stability. On the Li metal anode, the anion-derived interfacial chemistry promotes the formation of an inorganic-dominant LiF-rich interphase, which effectively suppresses Li dendrite growth and improves the Li plating/stripping kinetics at low temperatures. Consequently, the DIBs can operate within a wide temperature range, spanning from -40 to 45°C. At -40°C, the DIB exhibits exceptional performance, delivering 97.4% of its room-temperature capacity at 1C and displaying an extraordinarily high-rate discharge capability with 62.3% capacity retention at 10C. This study demonstrates a feasible strategy for the development of high-power and low-temperature rechargeable batteries.

Revisiting porous foam Cu host based Li metal anode: The roles of lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of three-dimensional framework

Lithium (Li) metal anode (LMA) is one of the most promising anodes for high energy density batteries. However, its practical application is impeded by notorious dendrite growth and huge volume expansion. Although the three-dimensional (3D) host can enhance the cycling stability of LMA, further improvements are still necessary to address the key factors limiting Li plating/stripping behavior. Herein, porous copper (Cu) foam (CF) is thermally infiltrated with molten Li-rich Li-zinc (Li-Zn) binary alloy (CFLZ) with variable Li/Zn atomic ratio. In this process, the LiZn intermetallic compound phase self-assembles into a network of mixed electron/ion conductors that are distributed within the metallic Li phase matrix and this network acts as a sublevel skeleton architecture in the pores of CF, providing a more efficient and structured framework for the material. The as-prepared CFLZ composite anodes are systematically investigated to emphasize the roles of the tunable lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of the frameworks. Meanwhile, a thin layer of Cu-Zn alloy with strong lithiophilicity covers the CF scaffold itself. The CFLZ with high Zn content facilitates uniform Li nucleation and deposition, thereby effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth and volume fluctuation. Consequently, the hierarchical and lithiophilic framework shows low Li nucleation overpotential and highly stable Coulombic efficiency (CE) for 200 cycles in conventional carbonate based electrolyte. The full cell coupled with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode demonstrates high cycle stability and rate performance. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced dendrite-free 3D LMA toward practical application.

Asymmetric Solid-State Lithium-Metal-Battery Electrolytes Featuring Na Superionic Conductor-Type Ceramic and Garnet-Type Ceramic Filled Composite Polymer

In this study, Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP)-based lithium metal battery (LMB) cells are prepared using two different protection layers against Li metal: a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) containing polyethylene oxide and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), and a composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) filled with a 14 wt% Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO). The CPE-containing symmetric cell exhibits a smaller overvoltage than that of its SPE-containing counterpart, which is maintained for ∼1000 h at 0.1 mA·cm−2 at 60 °C, owing to enhanced Li-ion transport in the CPE and at the LATP–CPE interface as well as the uniform Li deposition induced by the CPE with a higher Li+ transference number. Post-material analyses reveal that the CPE imparts long-term (∼1000 h) protection to the LATP against Li metal, whereas the SPE is effective over a shorter period (∼100 h). The CPE-based full cell exhibits a higher capacity (∼141 mAh·g−1; with a LiFePO4) and capacity retention (∼95%) than those of the SPE-based full cell (∼130 mAh·g−1 and ∼55%, respectively), for 310 cycles at 60 °C. This study recommends utilizing asymmetric solid electrolytes containing a ceramic (LATP at the cathode) and composite polymer (PEO + LLZTO at the anode) to improve cyclability and suppress Li dendrite growth in solid-state LMBs.

Nitrogen‐Doped Anodic Li Oxide Films as Robust Li Metal Anodes and Solid‐State Electrolytes

AbstractThe performance of the lithium (Li) metal anode in rechargeable batteries has been hampered by the formation of unstable solid‐electrolyte interphase layers, which compromise cycle life and pose significant safety concerns. Herein, for the first time, the anodizing oxidation of pure Li in a liquid electrolyte is developed by using tetrahydrofuran with LiNO3. With this novel process, thickness‐controllable Li oxide films with in situ nitrogen doping during the anodizing process can be obtained. The resulting nitrogen‐doped Li oxide film (NLO) exhibits a uniform surface of the Li metal anode, effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth and simultaneously improving Li ionic conductivity. In addition, the Li metal full cells with Li/NLO anodes perform a long stable life of 1100 cycles at 5C. More importantly, this work demonstrates the great potential of NLO films as a solid‐state electrolyte in solid‐state Li metal batteries. The symmetric Li cells with NLO films perform excellent cycling stability for 300 h at 2 mA cm−2 current density and high Li+ ion conductivity of ≈3 ×10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature. This research not only provides a novel Li anodizing process and a stable Li metal anode but also opens up new possibilities for new solid‐state Li metal battery technologies.

Constructing Robust LiF‐Enriched Interfaces in High‐Voltage Solid‐State Lithium Batteries Utilizing Tailored Oriented Ceramic Fiber Electrolytes

AbstractThe pursuit of high‐performance energy storage devices has fueled significant advancements in the all‐solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). One of the strategies to enhance the performance of ASSLBs, especially concerning high‐voltage cathodes, is optimizing the structure of composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs). This study fabricates a high‐oriented framework of Li6.4La3Zr2Al0.2O12 (o‐LLZO) ceramic nanofibers, meticulously addressing challenges in both the Li metal anode and the high‐voltage LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode. The as‐constructed electrolyte features a highly efficient Li+ transport and robust mechanical network, enhancing both electron and ion transport, ensuring uniform current density distribution, and stress distribution, and effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth. Remarkably, the Li symmetric cells exhibit outstanding long‐term lifespan of 9800 h at 0.1 mA cm−2 and operate effectively over 800 h even at 1.0 mA cm−2 under 30 °C. The CPEs design results from the formation of a gradient LiF‐riched SEI and CEI film at the Li/electrolyte/NCM811 dual interfaces, enhancing ion conduction and maintaining electrode integrity. The coin‐cells and pouch cells demonstrate prolonged cycling stability and superior capacity retention. This study sets a notable precedent in advancing high‐energy ASSLBs.

An Amino Acid-Enabled Separator for Effective Stabilization of Li Anodes.

Fundamentally suppressing Li dendrite growth is known to be critical for realizing the potential high energy density for Li-metal batteries (LMBs). Inspired by the ionic transport function of proteins, we previously discovered that utilizing natural proteins was able to stabilize the Li anode but have not demonstrated how a specific amino acid of the protein enabled the function. In this study, we decorate the separator with Leucine (Leu) amino acid assisted by poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) for effectively stabilizing the Li-metal anode, so as to dramatically improve the cycling performance of LMBs. The decorated separator improves electrolyte wettability and effectively suppresses Li dendrite growth. As a result, the amino acid-enabled separator prolongs the cycle life of the symmetrical Li|Li cells, exhibits higher Coulombic efficiency in the Li|Cu cells, and improves the cycling performance in LMBs with the LiFePO4 cathode. This work is an initial study on applying a specific amino acid of proteins to enhance the performance of batteries, providing a new strategy on guiding Li+ deposition, and laying an important foundation for functional separator design of high-energy-density batteries.

Excellent Polymerized Ionic-Liquid-Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes Enabled by Molecular Structure Design and Anion-Derived Interfacial Layer.

Polymerized ionic liquid (PIL)-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are well known as highly safe and stable electrolytes but with low ambient ionic conductivity. Herein, we first designed and synthesized an IL monomer with a long and flexible side chain and then mixed it with LiTFSI and MEMPTFSI to construct a PIL-based GPE (denoted as GM-GPE). The special molecular structure of the monomer greatly improves the ionic transport through the PIL chain, and the introduction of MEMPTFSI plasticizer further improves the ionic conductivity, promoting a TFSI--anion-derived SEI formation to suppress Li dendrite growth and forming an electrostatic shielding effect of MEMP+ cations to promote the uniform deposition of Li+. Consequently, the as-prepared GM-GPE exhibits high ambient ionic conductivity (4.3 × 10-4 S cm-1, 30 °C), robust electrochemical stability, excellent thermal stability, nonflammability, and superior ability to inhibit Li dendrite growth. The resultant LiFePO4|GM-GPE|Li cell exhibits a high discharge capacity of 150 mA h g-1 at 0.2 C along with a good cycling stability and rate capability. This work brings about new guidance for the development of high-quality GPEs with high ionic conductivity, high stability, and safety for long cycling and dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.

Lithiophilic and Eco-Friendly Nano-Se Seeds Unlock Dendrite-Free and Anode-Free Li-Metal Batteries.

A 3D host design for lithium (Li)-metal anodes can effectively accommodate volume changes and suppress Li dendrite growth; nonetheless, its practical applicability in energy-dense Li-metal batteries (LMBs) is plagued by excessive Li loading. Herein, we introduced eco- and human-friendly Se seeds into 3D carbon cloth (CC) to create a robust host for efficient Li deposition/stripping. The highly lithiophilic nano-Se endowed the Se-decorated CC (Se@CC) with perfect Li wettability for instantaneous Li infusion. At an optimal Li loading of 17 mg, the electrode delivered an unprecedentedly long life span of 5400 h with low overpotentials <36 mV at 1 mA cm-2/1 mAh cm-2 and 1500 h at 5 mA cm-2/5 mAh cm-2. Furthermore, the uniform Se distribution and strong Li-Se binding allowed for further reduction in Li loading to 2 mg via direct Li electrodeposition. The corresponding LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811)-based full cell afforded a high capacity retention rate of 74.67% over 300 cycles at a low N/P ratio of 8.64. Finally, the initial anode-free LMB using a NCM811 cathode and a Se@CC anode current collector demonstrated a high electrode-level specific energy of 531 Wh kg-1 and consistently high CEs >99.7% over 200 cycles. This work highlights a high-performance host design with excellent tunability for practical high-energy-density LMBs.

Coaxially MXene-confined solid-state electrolyte for flexible high-rate lithium metal battery

Solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) possess conspicuous merits of facile manufacturing, superior mechanical toughness, and favorable chemical stability with Li anodes, but the intrinsically low room temperature ionic conductivity (∼10−8 −10−6 S cm−1) and negligible Lithium-ion transfer number (0.1–0.2) badly inhibited its commercial application in lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, we design the three-dimensionally and coaxially MXene-confined solid-state polymer electrolyte (C-MX SPE) for the directional acceleration movement of Li+ ion by introducing MXene nanosheets into the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber. Benefiting from the confinement effect, the homogeneously and coaxially MXene-confined SPE possess an impressive Li+ ion transference number of 0.72 and ionic conductivity of 3.07 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature, which are 3 and 20 times of magnitude higher than the randomly MXene-dispersed (R-MX) SPE (0.22 and 1.61 ×10−4 S cm−1), respectively. Also, the Lithium/SPE/Lithium symmetric cell exhibits a flat galvanostatic charge/discharge under 1 mA cm−2 for 2000 h without dendrites, revealing its 3D skeleton structure could mechanically suppress Li dendrite growth. Based on it, the assembled flexible solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) possess a rate-capability of 101 mAh g−1 @ 10 C, a capacity retention of 85.18% after 500 cycles @ 1 C at room temperature and a stability of bending-needling-cutting performance. Evidently, this three-dimensionally and coaxially MXene-confined SPE may represent a promising strategy to address the random distribution and agglomeration of inorganic fillers in SPE and guide a direction for the development of high-performance, secure, and flexible SSLMBs.

Li-Zn alloy patch for defect-free polymer interface film enables excellent protection effect towards stable Li metal anode

Constructing a smart polymer film with favorable lithium (Li) transport capability and mechanical flexibility for suppressing Li dendrite growth is an effective strategy. Unfortunately, the porosity and the swelling of the polymer membrane cannot completely prevent liquid electrolyte from sweeping through the artificial protection film, severely deteriorating the cyclic performance. Herein, we propose a defect-free hybrid film that consists of Li+ conductive lithium polyacrylate (LiPAA) polymer interface layer and Li-Zn alloy patch to tackle the critical problems of traditional polymer composite passivation film. The pinhole leaks of the polymer matrix are self-filled by Li-Zn alloy patches, enhancing the integrity of LiPAA film. Consequently, a defect-free hybrid film is nailed flat against the Li metal anode, exhibiting extraordinary stability in the liquid electrolyte and enabling perfect protection effect. This facile strategy produces a promising anode for next generation Li batteries.

High lithiophilicity and Li diffusion rate on 1T phase transition metal dichalcogenides as effective Li regulating materials for dendrite-free metal anodes

This study reports the role of 1T VS2 in both suppressing Li dendrite growth and shuttling issue of lithium polysulfides, realizing the practical use of lithium–sulfur batteries.

Interfacial engineering of suppressing Li dendrite growth in all solid-state Li-metal batteries

This work presents a systematic review of recent progress in Li dendrite growth. The origins of Li dendrite growth are ascribed to two mechanisms, crack-induced and electron-conduction.

Electrodeposited Lithiophilic Zn Thin Film on the Current Collector for Improved Cyclability of Anode-Free Lithium Metal Battery

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFMBs) are recently presented as the new generation of Li metal batteries benefiting high gravimetric and volumetric energy densities due to the zero excess lithium. However, poor electrochemical stability and maximum cyclability of around 40-50 cycles due to the zero excess Lithium prevent the AFLMBs to be functional1. Here, lithiophilic electrodeposited Zn thin film on the current collector is reported in order to decrease the lithium nucleation overpotential and improve the plating/stripping process during alloying and dealloying. Moreover, columbic efficiency is increased by applying more zinc coated on the cupper current collector and by providing a more hospitable site for Li nuclei to plate2. Due to the alloy formation of Li-Zn, more conformal Li growth on the current collector is provided and homogeneous Li distribution and smooth morphology are observed by SEM images. The cells in different zinc thin layer coating are cycled with different current densities as well as long-term cycling by galvanostatic cycling charge-discharge cycling. As a result, increasing the thin film thickness up to 1 micron significantly enhances the electrochemical stability of the cells such as higher columbic efficiency and cyclability, lower Li nucleation overpotential. Finally, the Li-ion chemical diffusion coefficients DLi, are evaluated by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the results are compared to each other3.References Maddukuri, S. et al. On the challenge of large energy storage by electrochemical devices. Electrochim Acta 354, 136771 (2020).Merso, S. K. et al. An in-situ formed bifunctional layer for suppressing Li dendrite growth and stabilizing the solid electrolyte interphase layer of anode free lithium metal batteries. J Energy Storage 56, 105955 (2022).Xie, J. et al. Determination of Li-ion diffusion coefficient in amorphous Zn and ZnO thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Thin Solid Films 519, 3373–3377 (2011).