Carbon Nanofibers Surface‐Exposed with Highly Active Ag Nanoparticles for Enhanced Interfacial Dynamics of Lithium Metal Anodes

Abstract Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) are widely regarded as a crucial component for the next generation of high‐energy‐density lithium batteries. The extended pathways for lithium ion diffusion exacerbate concentration polarization, leading to dendrite growth in LMAs. Here, carbon nanofibers with surface‐exposed high‐activity silver nanoparticles (Ag@CNF) are achieved through the combination of electrospinning and ion exchange techniques, enhancing the interfacial dynamics during lithium storage. Compared to electrodes with encapsulated active sites, the self‐supported and binder‐free Ag@CNF significantly shortens lithium ion diffusion pathways, reduces nucleation overpotential, and promotes uniform ion diffusion and deposition. Furthermore, this unique structure induces a thinner solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, and greatly reduces the apparent activation energy for charge transfer. Ag@CNF not only enhances atomic utilization efficiency of active centers but also optimizes performance in lithium metal batteries. Notably, assembled full cells demonstrate an excellent retention rate of 90% after 300 cycles at a high capacity of 1.5 mAh cm −2 and a low N/P ratio of 2.