Suppressing electrolyte-lithium metal reactivity via Li+-desolvation in uniform nano-porous separator

Lithium reactivity with electrolytes leads to their continuous consumption and dendrite growth, which constitute major obstacles to harnessing the tremendous energy of lithium-metal anode in a reversible manner. Considerable attention has been focused on inhibiting dendrite via interface and electrolyte engineering, while admitting electrolyte-lithium metal reactivity as a thermodynamic inevitability. Here, we report the effective suppression of such reactivity through a nano-porous separator. Calculation assisted by diversified characterizations reveals that the separator partially desolvates Li+ in confinement created by its uniform nanopores, and deactivates solvents for electrochemical reduction before Li0-deposition occurs. The consequence of such deactivation is realizing dendrite-free lithium-metal electrode, which even retaining its metallic lustre after long-term cycling in both Li-symmetric cell and high-voltage Li-metal battery with LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 as cathode. The discovery that a nano-structured separator alters both bulk and interfacial behaviors of electrolytes points us toward a new direction to harness lithium-metal as the most promising anode.

Lithium Silicates in Anode Materials for Li-Ion and Li Metal Batteries

The structural and interfacial stability of silicon-based and lithium metal anode materials is essential to their battery performance. Scientists are looking for a better inactive material to buffer strong volume change and suppress unwanted surface reactions of these anodes during cycling. Lithium silicates formed in situ during the formation cycle of silicon monoxide anode not only manage anode swelling but also avoid undesired interfacial interactions, contributing to the successful commercialization of silicon monoxide anode materials. Additionally, lithium silicates have been further utilized in the design of advanced silicon and lithium metal anodes, and the results have shown significant promise in the past few years. In this review article, we summarize the structures, electrochemical properties, and formation conditions of lithium silicates. Their applications in advanced silicon and lithium metal anode materials are also introduced.

High-efficiency, anode-free lithium-metal batteries with a close-packed homogeneous lithium morphology

Anode-free lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) are ideal candidates for high-capacity energy storage as they eliminate the need of a conventional graphite electrode or excess lithium-metal anode. Current anode-free LMBs suffer from...