Organosulfide-plasticized solid-electrolyte interphase layer enables stable lithium metal anodes for long-cycle...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium metal anodes offer high capacity but suffer from poor Coulombic efficiency and dendrite formation.
• These issues limit the practical application of next-generation rechargeable batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and flexible solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer for lithium metal anodes.
• To improve the Coulombic efficiency and suppress dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries.

Main Methods:

• Co-deposition of organosulfides/organopolysulfides and inorganic lithium salts using sulfur-containing polymers as an electrolyte additive.
• Formation of a hybrid solid-electrolyte interphase layer.

Main Results:

• The self-formed SEI layer demonstrated improved mechanical flexibility and toughness.
• Achieved dendrite-free lithium deposition and high Coulombic efficiency (99% over 400 cycles at 2 mA cm⁻²).
• Demonstrated long cycling life (1000 cycles) and good capacity retention in a lithium-sulfur battery.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid SEI layer effectively addresses the challenges of lithium metal anodes.
• This strategy offers a promising pathway for fabricating stable SEI layers for advanced battery technologies.