Boosting lithium storage of Li-B alloys through regulating lithium content

Abstract

Li-B alloy is expected to meet the expanding demands of energy storage, primarily driven by their high energy density and structural stability. The fibrous porous skeleton can increase the electrochemical active area and reduce the local current density, therefore diminishing the lithium dendrites. In this study, we prepared Li-B alloys with different lithium contents and examined the impact of lithium content on the structure and electrochemical properties of Li-B alloys. With the increase of lithium content, the spacing between the skeleton of the Li-B alloys increases. The lithium deposition on the top of the skeleton decreases, leading to thinner SEI, and lower polarization. The Li-B alloy with the highest lithium content (64 wt.% lithium content) in the symmetric battery exhibits the longest cycle time, lasting over 140 h at 1 mA/cm² and 0.5 mA·h/cm², with a minimal overpotential of 0.08 V. When paired with LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂, the full battery has the highest specific discharge capacity and the best rate capacity.

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