Dielectric Lead Zirconate Titanate-Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) Layer Homogenizes Interfacial Electric Field Toward...

The commercialization of Li anode is impeded by uncontrolled dendrite growth and associated safety hazards. Controlling the interfacial electric field on the Li anode is paramount to inhibiting Li dendrite growth. Herein, we propose a dielectric-interlayer strategy to regulate the interfacial electric field on the Li anode via coating a composite film of lead zirconate titanate embedded in a poly(vinylidene fluoride) matrix (PZT-PVDF). The high dielectric constant of PZT-PVDF homogenizes the Li⁺ flux during cycling, effectively suppressing the tip-effect-driven dendrite initiation. As a result, a symmetric Li cell with PZT-PVDF protection achieves stable cycling for over 600 h at 1 mA cm^-2 and 1 mAh cm^-2. When paired with a high-loading LiCoO₂ cathode, the full cell retains 80% capacity after 200 cycles, significantly outperforming the unprotected counterpart with 15% capacity retention after 100 cycles. This work demonstrates that dielectric-mediated interfacial engineering is a viable and promising approach to enhancing the cycle life and safety of lithium metal batteries.