In Situ Formation of a Lithiophilic Li-Zn Alloy Using Dual-Salt Electrolyte Additives for Lithium Metal Batteries.

Jo, Yun-Joo; Shin, Hyeon-Ji; Kim, Hyerim; Kansara, Shivam; Hwang, Jang-Yeon; Kim, Jongsoon; Mun, Junyoung; Kwak, Won-Jin et al. · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The highly reactive nature of Li metal presents challenges, such as an unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and uneven Li nucleation. Herein, to address these challenges, ZnF<sub>2</sub> and LiNO<sub>3</sub> were introduced as electrolyte additives to create a lithiophilic Li-Zn alloy and a stable SEI comprising LiF and LiNO<sub>3</sub> on the Li metal surface. The Li-Zn alloy, formed via a spontaneous conversion reaction between ZnF<sub>2</sub> and Li, provides favorable nucleation sites for Li deposition, thereby suppressing dendrite growth and improving the cycle stability of the Li metal, even at a high current density of 5 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>. In Li||LiFePO<sub>4</sub> full cells, a remarkable capacity retention of 98.6% was achieved after 400 cycles at 1 C. Furthermore, approximately 100% capacity retention was achieved after 1400 cycles at 10 C. This study provides a simple and effective electrolyte additive strategy for obtaining dendrite-free Li metal.