Inducing uniform lithium nucleation by integrated lithium-rich li-in anode with lithiophilic 3D framework

Lithium metal has been regarded as the most ideal choice to be anode for rechargeable lithium batteries. However, lithium dendrites growth and unstable interface between lithium and electrolyte result in security risk and poor cyclic performance, hindering practical applications of lithium anode. By analyzing kinetic parameters and the morphology of initial lithium deposition, we find that In3Li13 substrate exhibits excellent lithiophilic nature with extremely small nucleation barrier of lithium. Thus, an integrated Li-rich Li-In anode with lithiophilic In3Li13 framework was designed and prepared by a facile one-step vacuum evaporation approach. The framework reduces the local current density and accommodates lithium in the interior space. Most importantly, the lithiophilic In3Li13 can guide uniform Li nucleation. Via the synergy of lithiophilic framework in structure and interface, the designed integrated Li-In anode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. Symmetric cells with the Li-In anode stably cycle for over 230 hours, about four times the lifespan of the cell with the pure lithium anode. In the full cells with LiFePO4 cathode, the capacity retention is improved from 83.6% to 97.7% after 160 cycles with the Li-In anode. These attempts deepened the understanding of Li nucleation on lithiophilic substrate and provide new insight for designing high-performance lithium anode.