Dynamic Intelligent Cu Current Collectors for Ultrastable Lithium Metal Anodes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) current collectors are crucial for dendrite-free lithium (Li) metal anodes.
• Rigid 3D collectors struggle to balance Li dendrite suppression with high-capacity plating/stripping under demanding conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel current collector that dynamically accommodates volume changes during Li plating/stripping.
• To enhance the stability and performance of lithium metal anodes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dynamic intelligent Cu (DICu) current collector.
• Assembly and testing of symmetrical Li cells with DICu.
• Integration of Li/DICu electrodes into full-cell batteries (LiFePO4 and Sulfur cathodes).

Main Results:

• The Li/DICu electrode demonstrated a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% over 800 cycles.
• Exceptional cycling stability was observed in symmetrical cells at a high current density of 10 mA cm⁻².
• Full cells showed excellent performance: Li/DICu|LiFePO4 maintained 139.5 mAh g⁻¹ at 1C for 500 cycles, and Li/DICu|S delivered 804 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5C for 500 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The DICu current collector effectively accommodates volume changes, enabling dendrite-free Li metal anodes.
• DICu represents a significant advancement, achieving state-of-the-art performance for Cu-based current collectors in Li metal batteries.