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Subsurface Vacancy Engineering Enables Atomically Clean and Oxidation-Resistant Copper Interfaces for Anode-Free
Yue Li1,2, Xuanguang Ren1,3, Xueting Feng3
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
ACS Nano
|June 22, 2026
Summary
An ion-implantation method creates a clean copper interface for anode-free lithium metal batteries. This engineered interface enhances stability and efficiency, enabling long-term battery performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Interfaces are critical for electrochemical systems, but creating clean metal interfaces is difficult.
- In anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs), the current collector interface impacts lithium nucleation, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, and overall battery stability.
- Achieving efficient charge transport and uniform reaction distribution at the interface is key for AFLMB performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for creating atomically clean and oxidation-resistant copper interfaces for AFLMBs.
- To investigate how atomic-scale modifications of the copper interface affect lithium deposition and SEI formation.
- To demonstrate the performance benefits of the engineered interface in AFLMBs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an ion-implantation strategy to modify commercial copper foils.
- Employed experiments and multiscale simulations to analyze interfacial properties and lithium deposition.
- Fabricated and tested AFLMBs with the engineered copper current collectors.
Main Results:
- The ion-implantation process created an atomically clean copper surface by removing native oxides and introducing subsurface vacancy clusters.
- These vacancies acted as oxygen traps, preventing reoxidation and enhancing interfacial conductivity.
- The modified interface promoted the formation of an ultrathin, Li2O-enriched SEI, leading to uniform lithium deposition and suppressed parasitic reactions.
- AFLMBs with engineered collectors achieved 98.8% Coulombic efficiency over 600 cycles under lean-electrolyte conditions.
Conclusions:
- Atomic-scale control of copper current collector interfaces is achievable through ion implantation.
- This interface engineering strategy significantly enhances the stability and efficiency of anode-free lithium metal batteries.
- The developed method offers a promising route toward practical and long-lasting lithium metal batteries.
