A high performance lithium metal anode enabled by CF₄ plasma treated carbon paper

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium metal batteries offer high energy density but face challenges like lithium dendrite growth and volume expansion, hindering practical application.
• Current research focuses on developing stable lithium metal anodes to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the energy density and lifespan of secondary batteries by developing a novel composite lithium metal anode.
• To address lithium dendritic growth and volume expansion issues in lithium metal batteries.

Main Methods:

• Superficial fluorination of carbon paper (CP) using CF4 plasma to create a fluorinated carbon paper (FCP) composite anode.
• Controlled plasma intensity gradient within the CP matrix to influence lithium deposition.
• Electrochemical cycling tests to evaluate anode performance.

Main Results:

• The FCP anode demonstrated a higher fluorine content and lower conductivity on the top side, effectively guiding lithium deposition inside the matrix.
• Achieved flatter lithium plating morphology, suppressing typical dendrite formation.
• Stable cycling for over 350 cycles at a high areal capacity of 3 mA h cm-2 and current density of 1 mA cm-2.

Conclusions:

• The developed FCP composite anode significantly improves lithium metal battery performance by enhancing lithium deposition and suppressing dendrite formation.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for realizing high-energy-density and long-lifespan lithium metal batteries for practical applications.