Electron cloud migration effect-induced lithiophobicity/lithiophilicity transformation for dendrite-free lithium...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Stable lithium metal anodes are crucial for high-energy-density electrochemical energy storage.
• Challenges include safety hazards, volume expansion, and low coulombic efficiency (CE) of lithium metal anodes, hindering practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a nano-thickness lithiophilic copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) bimetallic coating.
• To prepare dendrite-free lithium metal anodes for improved electrochemical energy storage.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a nano-thickness Cu-Ni bimetallic coating.
• Investigated the electron cloud migration effect due to differing electronegativities of Cu and Ni for lithiophobicity/lithiophilicity transformation.
• Optimized the Cu-Ni ratio to control electron cloud migration and promote uniform lithium deposition/dissolution.

Main Results:

• Achieved dendrite-free lithium metal anodes with stable long cycling time (>1500 hours) and small voltage hysteresis (∼26 mV).
• Demonstrated excellent cycling stability and high coulombic efficiency in full cells using LiFePO4 as a cathode.
• The Cu-Ni coating effectively promotes uniform Li deposition and dissolution.

Conclusions:

• The developed Cu-Ni bimetallic coating enables dendrite-free lithium metal anodes.
• This approach offers a new strategy for optimizing material lithiophilicity and realizing stable lithium metal anodes.
• The findings contribute to the advancement of safer and more efficient electrochemical energy storage systems.