Cation-Loaded Porous Mg²⁺-Zeolite Layer Direct Dendrite-Free Deposition toward Long-Life Lithium Metal Anodes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Lithium metal anodes offer high capacity but suffer from dendrite formation.
• Dendrites compromise battery safety and cycle life.
• Developing protective layers is crucial for practical lithium metal batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a cation-loaded porous Mg²⁺-Zeolite layer for dendrite-free lithium deposition.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of zeolite structure and Mg²⁺ ions on lithium plating.
• To enhance the safety and performance of lithium metal anodes.

Main Methods:

• Modification of lithium metal anode surface with Mg²⁺-Zeolite.
• Electrochemical testing of symmetric Li/Li cells.
• Performance evaluation of pouch cells with LiFePO₄ cathode.

Main Results:

• Mg²⁺-Zeolite layer facilitates faster Li⁺ desolvation and uniform Li⁺ flux.
• Stable inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation observed.
• Symmetric Li/Li cells demonstrated over 2100 hours of cyclic longevity.
• Pouch cells achieved 88.4% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 C.

Conclusions:

• The Mg²⁺-Zeolite layer effectively suppresses lithium dendrite growth.
• Synergistic kinetic modulation promotes homogeneous lithium plating/stripping.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for safe and high-performance lithium metal batteries.