Highly stable lithium metal anode enabled by constructing lithiophilic 3D interphase on robust framework

Lithium (Li) metal is considered as one of the most attractive anode materials for next-generation high-energy battery systems due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low working potential. However, the low Coulombic efficiency and serious safety issues caused by uncontrollable Li dendrites and infinite volume expansion restrict commercial application. Here, a lithiophilic 3D collector is designed by introducing porous structure and lithiophilic CuO&SnO2 onto the bronze mesh to create a stable Li metal-based composite anode. The 3D porous structure with the enhanced specific surface area can effectively alleviate the volume expansion and delay the growth of Li dendrites. In addition, the lithiophilic CuO&SnO2 interphase contributes to the formation of the stable solid electrolyte interface, leading to homogeneous Li nucleation and growth. As a result, it has achieved a high average Coulombic efficiency of 98.1% for over 600 cycles and remarkable cycling stability of 3000 h (1500 cycles) with low nucleation overpotential at 1.0 mA cm-2 with 1.0 mAh cm-2. Furthermore, the full cells assembled with LiCoO2 cathode show superior capacity retention of 90% at 0.5 C for 400 cycles. This strategy will be conducive to realizing stable anode without Li dendrites and offer opportunities for the development of high-energy batteries.