Controllable and Homogeneous Lithium Electrodeposition via Lithiophilic Anchor Points

Uncontrollable growth of lithium (Li) dendrites and low Coulombic efficiency induce security hazards and a short cycling lifespan of Li metal batteries. In this study, well-aligned ZnO nanorods on a periodic three-dimensional (3D) copper mesh (CM) are modified as lithiophilic anchor points to regulate the electrodeposition behavior of Li metal anodes. The in situ generated LiZn/Li₂O arrays can efficiently guide the homogeneous Li electrodeposition along the nanorods. The porous structure of CM provides void space for the well-controlled lateral growth of Li starting from nanorod arrays. Moreover, the high surface area generated by both CM and the ZnO nanorods favors the charge transfer with low local current densities along the anode. Compared with bare Li anodes, Li-ZnO@CM anodes exhibited prolonged cycling stability for symmetric cells and superior capacity retention within Li/LiFePO₄ full cells, demonstrating the effective design principles of ZnO@CM for stabilizing Li metal batteries.