Hetero-metallic lithiophilic sites to assist sustained diffusion-deposition of Li⁺ toward stable lithium metal anodes

Abstract

Lithium metal stands out as an exceptionally promising anode material, boasting an extraordinarily high theoretical capacity and impressive energy density. Despite these advantageous characters, the issues of dendrite formation and volume expansion of lithium metal anodes lead to performance decay and safety concerns, significantly impeding their advancement towards widespread commercial viability. Herein, a lithium-rich Li-B-In composite anode with abundant lithophilic sites and outstanding structural stability is reported to address the mentioned challenges. The evenly distributed Li-In alloy in the bulk phase of anodes act as mixed ion/electron conductors and nucleation sites, facilitating accelerated Li ions transport dynamics and suppressing lithium dendrite formation. Additionally, these micron-sized Li-In particles in LiB fibers framework can enhance overall structural integrity and provide sufficient interior space to accommodate the volume changes during cycling. The electrochemical performance of Li-B-In composite anode exhibits long-term cyclability, superior rate performance and high-capacity retention. This work confirms that the synergy between a 3D skeleton and hetero-metallic lithiophilic sites can achieve stable and durable lithium metal anodes, offering innovative insights for the practical deployment of lithium metal batteries.

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