Combination of solid polymer electrolytes and lithiophilic zinc for improved plating/stripping efficiency in anode-free lithium metal solid-state batteries

Anode-free lithium metal batteries and solid-state batteries represent some of the most promising alternatives to the current Li-ion technology. The possibility to reach high energy density, due to the exploitation of Li-metal plating/stripping and the elimination of excess anode material, motivate the interest at both academic and industrial levels. Despite these favourable properties, the use of Li-metal has always been extremely challenging and inefficient. This becomes particularly relevant in anode-free systems where no excess of lithium is introduced in the cell. The efficiency and quality of the deposition process is therefore of utmost importance. To optimize the Li-metal plating process, a combination of solid polymer electrolytes and a lithiophilic metal is applied herein, using in situ deposition of a zinc interlayer from a PEO-based SPE to modify the Cu current collector. Improvements in specific capacity, coulombic efficiency and cyclability with the addition of zinc as lithiophilic metal is verified in full anode-free solid-state Li-batteries, while plating/stripping in half-cell configuration provides additional insights into the relevant mechanisms. The exploitation of the in situ deposited lithiophilic layer reveals an innovative and practical optimization strategy for the future of anode-free solid-state batteries.