Revisiting porous foam Cu host based Li metal anode: The roles of lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of three-dimensional framework

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science 2024-11, Vol.673, p.638-646
• Main Authors: Xing, Jianxiong, Chen, Tao, Wang, Zihao, Song, Zhicui, Wei, Chaohui, Deng, Qijiu, Zhao, Qiang, Zhou, Aijun, Li, Jingze
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D skeleton; Li metal anode; Lithiophilicity; Mixed electron/ion conductor
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.116

The introduction of Zn improves the wettability and surface lithiophilicity of Cu foam toward Li metal, and a sublevel scaffold of LixZn alloy is constructed in the pores of Cu foam, regulating uniform Li deposition in the modified 3D skeleton. [Display omitted] Lithium (Li) metal anode (LMA) is one of the most promising anodes for high energy density batteries. However, its practical application is impeded by notorious dendrite growth and huge volume expansion. Although the three-dimensional (3D) host can enhance the cycling stability of LMA, further improvements are still necessary to address the key factors limiting Li plating/stripping behavior. Herein, porous copper (Cu) foam (CF) is thermally infiltrated with molten Li-rich Li-zinc (Li-Zn) binary alloy (CFLZ) with variable Li/Zn atomic ratio. In this process, the LiZn intermetallic compound phase self-assembles into a network of mixed electron/ion conductors that are distributed within the metallic Li phase matrix and this network acts as a sublevel skeleton architecture in the pores of CF, providing a more efficient and structured framework for the material. The as-prepared CFLZ composite anodes are systematically investigated to emphasize the roles of the tunable lithiophilicity and hierarchical structure of the frameworks. Meanwhile, a thin layer of Cu-Zn alloy with strong lithiophilicity covers the CF scaffold itself. The CFLZ with high Zn content facilitates uniform Li nucleation and deposition, thereby effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth and volume fluctuation. Consequently, the hierarchical and lithiophilic framework shows low Li nucleation overpotential and highly stable Coulombic efficiency (CE) for 200 cycles in conventional carbonate based electrolyte. The full cell coupled with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode demonstrates high cycle stability and rate performance. This work provides valuable insights into the design of advanced dendrite-free 3D LMA toward practical application.