Accommodating lithium into 3D current collectors with a submicron skeleton towards long-life lithium metal anodes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26299379.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms9058 and PMC identifier 4560781.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Lithium metal is one of the most attractive anode materials for electrochemical energy storage. However, the growth of Li dendrites during electrochemical deposition, which leads to a low Coulombic efficiency and safety concerns, has long hindered the application of rechargeable Li-metal batteries. Here we show that a 3D current collector with a submicron skeleton and high electroactive surface area can significantly improve the electrochemical deposition behaviour of Li. Li anode is accommodated in the 3D structure without uncontrollable Li dendrites. With the growth of Li dendrites being effectively suppressed, the Li anode in the 3D current collector can run for 600 h without short circuit and exhibits low voltage hysteresis. The exceptional electrochemical performance of the Li-metal anode in the 3D current collector highlights the importance of rational design of current collectors and reveals a new avenue for developing Li anodes with a long lifespan.