Mixed ion/electron-conducting rivets patterned Li metal anodes for high-performance Li metal batteries

Lithium (Li) metal is considered to be one of the most promising anodes for next-generation high-energy-density batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, the practical application of Li metal anodes has been hindered by the unstable interface and the growth of Li dendrites. Herein, a highly stable surface-patterned Li metal anode has been developed, in which composite nanowires composed of lithium phosphide and copper nanoparticles are riveted within the regular grooves of the Li metal surface. The lithiophilic and mixed ion/electron-conducting composite nanowires in the grooves effectively accelerate the charge transfer kinetics and regulate the lithium-ion distribution, enabling a highly reversible Li plating/stripping process within the grooves. Benefiting from this design, the obtained Li metal anodes achieve excellent cyclability for over 3000 h at 1 mA cm^-2/1 mAh cm^-2 with a low overpotential of 20.3 mV. Furthermore, when coupled with commercial LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ cathodes, the cells achieve excellent cycling stability for over 600 and 400 cycles at 0.5 and 2 C, respectively. This study may provide a viable strategy to develop high-performance Li metal batteries through the facile design of Li metal anodes.