Ag-modified hydrogen titanate nanowire arrays for stable lithium metal anode in a carbonate-based electrolyte

In the investigation of the next-generation battery anode,Li metal has attracted increasing attention owing to its ultrahigh specific capacity and low reduction potential.However,its low columbic efficiency,limited cycling life,and serious safety hazards have hindered the practical application of rechargeable Li metal batteries.Although several strategies have been proposed to enhance the electrochemical performance of Li metal anodes,most are centered around ether-based electrolytes,which are volatile and do not provide a sufficiently large voltage window.Therefore,we aimed to attain stable Li deposition/stripping in a commercial carbonate-based electrolyte.Herein,we have successfully synthesized hydrogen titanate(HTO)nanowire arrays decorated with homogenous Ag nanoparticles(NPs)(Ag@HTO)via simple hydrothermal and silver mirror reactions.The 3 D cross-linked array structure with Ag NPs provides preferable nucleation sites for uniform Li deposition,and most importantly,when assembled with the commercial LiNi_0.5Co0.2Mn_0.3O₂ cathode material,the Ag@HTO could maintain a capacity retention ratio of 81.2% at 1 C after 200 cycles,however the pristine Ti foil failed to do so after only 60 cycles.Our research therefore reveals a new way of designing current collectors paired with commercial high voltage cathodes that can create high energy density Li metal batteries.     

三维大孔/介孔碳-碳化钛复合材料用于无枝晶锂金属负极

金属锂具有超高的理论容量(3860 mAh·g^-1)和低氧化还原电位(-3.04 V vs.标准氢电极),是极具吸引力的下一代高能量密度电池的负极材料。然而,循环过程中的体积膨胀、锂枝晶生长和“死锂”等问题严重的限制了其实际应用。合理设计三维骨架调控金属锂的成核行为是抑制锂枝晶生长的有效策略。本文中,我们发展了一种“软硬双模板”的方法合成了兼具大孔和介孔的三维碳-碳化钛(Three-dimensional macro-/mesoporous C-TiC,表示为3DMM-C-TiC)复合材料。多级孔道为金属锂的沉积提供了足够的空间,缓冲充放电中巨大的体积变化。此外,TiC的引入显著增强多孔骨架的导电性,改善锂金属的成核行为,促进金属锂的均匀成核和沉积,抑制锂枝晶生长。3DMM-C-TiC||Li电池测试表明,在循环300圈以后,库伦效率仍保持在98%以上。此外,所得材料与LiFePO₄ (LFP)组成的全电池也表现出优异的倍率和循环性能。本工作为无枝晶锂金属负极的设计提供了新的思路。     

锂金属负极的挑战与改善策略研究进展

锂金属由于其高比容量和低电极电势等优点被认为是下一代高比能量电池体系中最有潜力的负极材料。然而由于锂金属的高活性,锂负极在循环过程中会产生大量的枝晶,导致SEI(solid-electrolyte interphase)破裂,并且枝晶增加了电极与电解液的接触面积,使得副反应进一步增加。此外,脱落的枝晶形成死锂,从而降低电池的充放电库仑效率。并且不可控的锂枝晶持续生长会刺穿隔膜引发电池短路,伴随着电池热失控等安全问题。本综述基于锂负极存在的主要挑战,结合理解锂枝晶的成核生长模型等机理总结并深度分析近些年来在液态和固态电解质体系中改善锂金属负极的主要策略及其作用机理,为促进高比能量锂金属电池的应用提供借鉴参考作用。     

Temperature‐Dependent Nucleation and Growth of Dendrite‐Free Lithium Metal Anodes

It is essential to develop a facile and effective method to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium metal anodes for building high‐energy‐density Li‐metal based batteries. Herein, we explored the temperature‐dependent Li nucleation and growth behavior and constructed a dendrite‐free Li metal anode by elevating temperature from room temperature (20 °C) to 60 °C. A series of ex situ and in situ microscopy investigations demonstrate that increasing Li deposition temperature results in large nuclei size, low nucleation density, and compact growth of Li metal. We reveal that the enhanced lithiophilicity and the increased Li‐ion diffusion coefficient in aprotic electrolytes at high temperature are essential factors contributing to the dendrite‐free Li growth behavior. As anodes in both half cells and full cells, the compact deposited Li with minimized specific surface area delivered high Coulombic efficiencies and long cycling stability at 60 °C.     

Stabilizing the Electrochemistry of Lithium-Selenium Battery via In situ Gelated Polymer Electrolyte: A Look from Anode

Li metal possesses a high theoretical specific capacity,high electronic conductivity,and a low electrochemical potential,making it a promising anode material for building next-generation rechargeable metal batteries.In case conventional liquid electrolytes were used,and the anode using Li metal has been hindered by unstable(electro)chemistry at Li/electrolyte interface and the accompanied dendrite issue.Specifically,for the Li-Se batteries,the dissolution and shuttle of polyselenide intermediates lead to the deposition of poorly-conductive species on the anode,which further aggravates the chemical environment at the anode.In this work,we proposed to stabilize the Li-Se electrochemistry by constructing a gel polymer electrolyte via in situ gelations of conventional ether-based electrolytes at room temperature.The results demonstrate that the in situ gelated electrolyte helps to build electrochemically stable electrode/electrolyte interfaces and promote the efficient transfer of charge carriers across the interface.Compared with the liquid electrolytes,the gelated electrolyte shows improved chemical compatibility with the Li metal anode,which effectively alleviates the unfavorable side reactions and dendrite formation at the anode/electrolyte interface,and the polyselenide shuttle from the cathode to the anode.As a result,the Li-Se battery shows a higher Coulombic efficiency and improved cycling performance.     

Unlocking Reversible Silicon Redox for High-Performing Chlorine Batteries

Chlorine (Cl)-based batteries such as Li/Cl₂ batteries are recognized as promising candidates for energy storage with low cost and high performance. However, the current use of Li metal anodes in Cl-based batteries has raised serious concerns regarding safety, cost, and production complexity. More importantly, the well-documented parasitic reactions between Li metal and Cl-based electrolytes require a large excess of Li metal, which inevitably sacrifices the electrochemical performance of the full cell. Therefore, it is crucial but challenging to establish new anode chemistry, particularly with electrochemical reversibility, for Cl-based batteries. Here we show, for the first time, reversible Si redox in Cl-based batteries through efficient electrolyte dilution and anode/electrolyte interface passivation using 1,2-dichloroethane and cyclized polyacrylonitrile as key mediators. Our Si anode chemistry enables significantly increased cycling stability and shelf lives compared with conventional Li metal anodes. It also avoids the use of a large excess of anode materials, thus enabling the first rechargeable Cl₂ full battery with remarkable energy and power densities of 809 Wh kg⁻¹ and 4,277 W kg⁻¹, respectively. The Si anode chemistry affords fast kinetics with remarkable rate capability and low-temperature electrochemical performance, indicating its great potential in practical applications.     

基于表界面反应及优化的锂金属电池研究进展

金属锂具有高理论比容量和低还原电位, 是锂电池阳极的理想材料之一. 但在长期循环充放电过程中, 金属锂因锂枝晶生长会导致出现界面恶化及能量损失严重等问题, 对锂金属电极与电解质表界面反应的优化是一个重要研究方向. 本文介绍了锂枝晶产生的危害, 从分析及抑制锂枝晶沉积两方面综合评述了为解决这一问题所采取的方法, 包括固态电解质界面形成机制和保护机理、 表面改性、 三维锂阳极和液态/固态电解质等方法, 总结了各种方法的优劣势, 并展望锂金属电池在能源领域的研究前景.     

Solvent Molecule Cooperation Enhancing Lithium Metal Battery Performance at Both Electrodes

Developing electrolytes compatible with efficient and reversible cycling of electrodes is critical to the success of rechargeable Li metal batteries (LMBs). The Coulombic efficiencies and cycle lives of LMBs with ethylene carbonate (EC), dimethyl carbonate, ethylene sulfite (ES), and their combinations as electrolyte solvents show that in a binary‐solvent electrolyte the extent of electrolyte decomposition on the electrode surface is dependent on the solvent component that dominates the solvation sheath of Li⁺. This knowledge led to the development of an EC‐ES electrolyte exhibiting high performance for Li||LiFePO₄ batteries. Carbonate molecules occupy the solvation sheath and improve the Coulombic efficiencies of both the anode and cathode. Sulfite molecules lead to desirable morphology and composition of the solid electrolyte interphase and extend the cycle life of the Li metal anode. The cooperation between these components provides a new example of electrolyte optimization for improved LMBs.     

Realizing Stable Carbonate Electrolytes in Li–O2/CO2 Batteries†

The increasing demand for high-energy storage systems has propelled the development of Li-air batteries and Li-O₂/CO₂ batteries to elucidate the mechanism and extend battery life. However, the high charge voltage of Li₂CO₃ accelerates the decomposition of traditional sulfone and ether electrolytes, thus adopting high-voltage electrolytes in Li-O₂/CO₂ batteries is vital to achieve a stable battery system. Herein, we adopt a commercial carbonate electrolyte to prove its excellent suitability in Li-O₂/CO₂ batteries. The generated superoxide can be captured by CO₂ to form less aggressive intermediates, stabilizing the carbonate electrolyte without reactive oxygen species induced decomposition. In addition, this electrolyte permits the Li metal plating/stripping with a significantly improved reversibility, enabling the possibility of using ultra-thin Li anode. Benefiting from the good rechargeability of Li₂CO₃, less cathode passivation, and stabilized Li anode in carbonate electrolyte, the Li-O₂/CO₂ battery demonstrates a long cycling lifetime of 167 cycles at 0.1 mA·cm^–2 and 0.25 mAh·cm^–2. This work paves a new avenue for optimizing carbonate-based electrolytes for Li-O₂ and Li-O₂/CO₂ batteries.      

锂金属电池用高浓度电解液体系研究进展

锂金属二次电池具有极高的能量密度,是下一代储能电池的研究热点。然而,金属锂负极在传统碳酸酯电解液1 mol·L^?1 LiPF6-EC/DEC(ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate)中充放电时,存在严重的枝晶生长和循环效率低下等问题,阻碍了其商业化应用。因此,开发与锂负极兼容的新型电解液体系是目前重要的研究任务。与传统稀溶液相比,高浓度电解液体系具有独有的物化性质和优异的界面相容性,并且能有效抑制锂枝晶生长、显著提升锂负极的循环可逆性,因而格外受到关注。本文综述了高浓度电解液及局部高浓电解液体系的最新研究进展,分析了其溶液化学结构和物化性质,对其与锂负极的界面相容性、枝晶抑制效果、效率提升能力及界面稳定性机制进行了探讨;文章着重介绍了高浓与局部高浓电解液体系在锂金属二次电池中的应用,同时从基础科学研究和应用研究两个层面对高浓电解液和局部高浓电解液存在的主要问题进行了简要分析,并对其未来发展方向进行了展望。     

Lithium Azide as an Electrolyte Additive for All‐Solid‐State Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Of the various beyond‐lithium‐ion battery technologies, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have an appealing theoretical energy density and are being intensely investigated as next‐generation rechargeable lithium‐metal batteries. However, the stability of the lithium‐metal (Li°) anode is among the most urgent challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the long‐term stability of Li–S batteries. Herein, we report lithium azide (LiN₃) as a novel electrolyte additive for all‐solid‐state Li–S batteries (ASSLSBs). It results in the formation of a thin, compact and highly conductive passivation layer on the Li° anode, thereby avoiding dendrite formation, and polysulfide shuttling. It greatly enhances the cycling performance, Coulombic and energy efficiencies of ASSLSBs, outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art additive lithium nitrate (LiNO₃).     

Self‐Healable Solid Polymeric Electrolytes for Stable and Flexible Lithium Metal Batteries

The key issue holding back the application of solid polymeric electrolytes in high‐energy density lithium metal batteries is the contradictory requirements of high ion conductivity and mechanical stability. In this work, self‐healable solid polymeric electrolytes (SHSPEs) with rigid‐flexible backbones and high ion conductivity are synthesized by a facile condensation polymerization approach. The all‐solid Li metal full batteries based on the SHSPEs possess freely bending flexibility and stable cycling performance as a result of the more disciplined metal Li plating/stripping, which have great implications as long‐lifespan energy sources compatible with other wearable devices.     

Reactive Polymer as Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interface for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal anodes have the highest theoretical capacity and lowest electrochemical potential making them ideal for Li metal batteries (LMBs). However, Li dendrite formation on the anode impedes the proper discharge capacity and practical cycle life of LMBs, particularly in carbonate electrolytes. Herein, we developed a reactive alternative polymer named P(St-MaI) containing carboxylic acid and cyclic ether moieties which would in situ form artificial polymeric solid electrolyte interface (SEI) with Li. This SEI can accommodate volume changes and maintain good interfacial contact. The presence of carboxylic acid and cyclic ether pendant groups greatly contribute to the induction of uniform Li ion deposition. In addition, the presence of benzyl rings makes the polymer have a certain mechanical strength and plays a key role in inhibiting the growth of Li dendrites. As a result, the symmetric Li||Li cell with P(St-MaI)@Li layer can stably cycle for over 900 h under 1 mA cm⁻² without polarization voltage increasing, while their Li||LiFePO₄ full batteries maintain high capacity retention of 96 % after 930 cycles at 1C in carbonate electrolytes. The innovative strategy of artificial SEI is broadly applicable in designing new materials to inhibit Li dendrite growth on Li metal anodes.     

Active Diluent-Anion Synergy Strategy Regulating Nonflammable Electrolytes for High-Efficiency Li Metal Batteries

High-energy Li metal batteries (LMBs) consisting of Li metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes are promising candidates of the next generation energy-storage systems owing to their ultrahigh energy density. However, it is still challenging to develop high-voltage nonflammable electrolytes with superior anode and cathode compatibility for LMBs. Here, we propose an active diluent-anion synergy strategy to achieve outstanding compatibility with Li metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes by using 1,2-difluorobenzene (DFB) with high activity for yielding LiF as an active diluent to regulate nonflammable dimethylacetamide (DMAC)-based localized high concentration electrolyte (LHCE-DFB). DFB and bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI⁻) anion cooperate to construct robust LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), which effectively stabilize DMAC from intrinsic reactions with Li metal anode and enhance the interfacial stability of the Li metal anodes and LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ (NCM811) cathodes. LHCE-DFB enables ultrahigh Coulombic efficiency (98.7 %), dendrite-free, extremely stable and long-term cycling of Li metal anodes in Li || Cu cells and Li || Li cells. The fabricated NCM811 || Li cells with LHCE-DFB display remarkably enhanced long-term cycling stability and excellent rate capability. This work provides a promising active diluent-anion synergy strategy for designing high-voltage electrolytes for high-energy batteries.     

Graphene-Enabled Electric-Field Regulation and Ionic Redistribution Around Lithiophilic Aurum Nanoparticles Toward a Dendrite-Free and 2000-Cycle-Life Lithium Metal Battery

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their high energy density. However, the uncontrolled volume changes and serious dendrite growth of the Li metal anode have hindered their commercialization. Herein, a three-dimensional Cu foam decorated with Au nanoparticles and conformal graphene layer was designed to tune the Li plating/stripping behaviors. The 3D−Cu conductive host anchored by lithiophilic Au nanoparticles can effectively alleviate the volume expansion caused by the continuous plating/stripping of Li and reduce the nucleation energy barrier. Notably, the conductive graphene not only facilitates the transfer of electrons, but also acts as an ionic rectifier, thereby avoiding the aggregation of local current density and Li⁺ ions around Au nanoparticles and enabling the uniform Li⁺ flux. As a result, the G−Au@3D−Cu/Li anode ensures the non-dendritic and homogeneous Li⁺ plating/stripping. Electrochemical results show that the symmetric G−Au@3D−Cu/Li cell delivers a low voltage hysteresis of 110 mV after 1000 h at 1 mA cm⁻². Matched with a layered LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ cathode, the NCM622||G−Au@3D−Cu/Li full cell exhibits a long cycle life of 2000 cycles and an ultra-low capacity decay rate (0.01 % per cycle).     

一种有助于稳定锂金属循环的富氟化位点框架结构

锂金属是下一代高能量密度二次电池的理想负极材料,然而它的应用仍然受制于较差的循环稳定性。近期,二维氟化界面被广泛用于改善锂金属负极的成核机制、沉积形貌和循环稳定性。本工作通过将体积缩小化的氟化石墨颗粒与锂离子传导网络结合,获得了一种富氟化位点的三维框架结构。实验结果证明此类三维氟化结构可显著提升锂金属负极在不同电流密度和容量下的循环稳定性,且优于二维氟化界面结构。通过本工作的研究,证明了相较于单纯的二维氟化界面,三维锂离子传导网络和富氟化位点的合理结合可以成为一种改进的界面结构用于锂金属负极保护,为高能量密度锂金属电池的负极保护提供了新的设计思路。     

Recent progress in liquid electrolytes for lithium metal batteries

Li metal batteries are revived as the next-generation batteries beyond Li-ion batteries. The Li metal anode can be paired with intercalation-type cathodes LiMO₂ and conversion-type cathodes such as sulfur and oxygen. Then, energy densities of Li/LiMO₂ and Li/S,O₂ batteries can reach 400 Whkg^?1 and more than 500 Whkg^?1, respectively, which surpass that of the state-of-the-art LIB (280 Whkg^?1). However, replacing the intercalation-type graphite anode with the Li metal anode suffers from low coulombic efficiency during repeated Li plating/stripping processes, which leads to short cycle lifetime and potential safety problems. The key solution is to construct a stable and uniform solid electrolyte interphase with high Li⁺ transport and high elastic strength on the Li metal anode. This review summarizes recent progress in improving the solid electrolyte interphase by tailoring liquid electrolytes, a classical but the most convenient and cost-effective strategy.     

Sustainable and Robust Graphene Cellulose Paper Decorated with Lithiophilic Au Nanoparticles to Enable Dendrite-free and High-Power Lithium Metal Anode

Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) with high energy density have recently captured increasing attention for development of next-generation batteries. However, practical viability of LMAs is hindered by the uncontrolled Li dendrite growth and infinite dimension change. Even though constructing 3D conductive skeleton has been regarded as a reliable strategy to prepare stable and low volume stress LMAs, engineering the renewable and lithiophilic conductive scaffold is still a challenge. Herein, a robust conductive scaffold derived from renewable cellulose paper, which is coated with reduced graphene oxide and decorated with lithiophilic Au nanoparticles, is engineered for LMAs. The graphene cellulose fibres with high surface area can reduce the local current density, while the well-dispersed Au nanoparticles can serve as lithiophilic nanoseeds to lower the nucleation overpotential of Li plating. The coupled relationship can guarantee uniform Li nucleation and unique spherical Li growth into 3D carbon matrix. Moreover, the natural cellulose paper possesses outstanding mechanical strength to tolerate the volume stress. In virtue of the modulated deposition behaviour and near-zero volume change, the hybrid LMAs can achieve reversible Li plating/stripping even at an ultrahigh current density of 10 mA cm⁻² as evidenced by high Coulombic efficiency (97.2 % after 60 cycles) and ultralong lifespan (1000 cycles) together with ultralow overpotential (25 mV). Therefore, this strategy sheds light on a scalable approach to multiscale design versatile Li host, promising highly stable Li metal batteries to be feasible and practical.     

Nafion/Titanium Dioxide‐Coated Lithium Anode for Stable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have shown great potential as high energy‐storage devices. However, the stability of the Li metal anode is still a major concern. This is due to the formation of lithium dendrites and severe side reactions with polysulfide intermediates. We herein develop an anode protection method by coating a Nafion/TiO₂ composite layer on the Li anode to solve these problems. In this architecture, Nafion suppresses the growth of Li dendrites, protects the Li anode, and prevents side reactions between polysulfides and the Li anode. Moreover, doped TiO₂ further improves the ionic conductivity and mechanical properties of the Nafion membrane. Li–S batteries with a Nafion/TiO₂‐coated Li anode exhibit better cycling stability (776 mA h g^?1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C, 1 C=1672 mA g^?1) and higher rate performance (787 mA h g^?1 at 2 C) than those with a pristine Li anode. This work provides an alternative way to construct stable Li anodes for high‐performance Li–S batteries.     

氟代溶剂在锂金属电池中的应用

Lithium metal batteries, which use lithium metal as the anode, have attracted tremendous research interest in recent years, owing to their high energy density and potential for future energy storage applications. Despite their advantages such as high energy density, the safety concerns and short lifespan significantly impede their practical applications in transportation and electronic devices. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to overcoming these problems, including materials design, interface modification, and electrolyte engineering. Among these strategies, electrolyte regulation plays a key role in improving the efficiency, stability, and safety of lithium metal anodes. As an important class of electrolyte components, fluorinated solvents, which can decompose to form LiF-rich interphase layers on both anode and cathode, have been proven to enhance the stability of lithium metal anodes and improve the oxidative stability of the electrolytes. Meanwhile, the spatial structure of fluorinated solvents, such as the number and sites of fluorine atoms, can influence the physicochemical properties of the electrolytes and the compositions/structure of the solid-electrolyte interphase, which eventually dictates the cycling performance of Li metal batteries. Recently, many fluorinated solvents with different molecular structures have been designed to regulate the solvation structure of electrolytes, and these solvents exhibit novel electrochemical properties in lithium metal batteries. However, there are few comprehensive reviews that summarize the fluorinated solvents used in Li metal batteries and discuss their functions in electrolytes and their physicochemical properties. This review summarizes the novel fluorinated solvents used in lithium metal batteries in recent years, which have been classified into three parts: diluents, traditional solvents, and novel molecules, based on their functions in the electrolytes. In every part, the understanding of the interactions between fluorinated solvents and Li ions, the decomposition mechanism of fluorinated solvents at the interface of the electrode, the functions of fluorinated solvents in the electrolytes, and the structure-activity relationship between the fluorinated solvents and battery performance have been comprehensively summarized and discussed. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of fluorinated solvents have been discussed, and the importance of precisely controlling the number of fluorine atoms and the structure of fluorinated solvents has been emphasized. At the end of this review, a perspective for designing new fluorinated solvents has been proposed. We believe that this review can provide insights on designing novel fluorinated solvents for high-performance Li metal batteries.