Macroscopically uniform interface layer with Li+ conductive channels for high-performance Li metal batteries

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 10045 - 12
• Main Authors: Chen, Qian, Gao, Binyin, Yang, Zhilin, Li, Yong, Zhai, QingWei, Jia, Yangyu, Zhang, Qiannan, Gu, Xiaokang, Zuo, Jinghan, Wang, Lei, Wang, Tianshuai, Zhai, Pengbo, Yang, Cheng, Gong, Yongji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.11.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/146; 147/135; 147/143; 147/3; 639/301/299/891; 639/301/357/1018; 639/4077/4079/891; Basal plane; Battery cycles; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Channel pores; Channels; Deposition; Grain boundaries; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ion transport; Lithium; Lithium batteries; Lithium ions; Metals; multidisciplinary; Pollutant deposition; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Solid electrolytes; Tortuosity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54310-1

The numerous grainboundaries solid electrolyte interface, whether naturally occurring or artificially designed, leads to non-uniform Li metal deposition and consequently results in poor full-battery performance. Herein, a lithium-ion selective transport layer is reported to achieve a highly efficient and dendrite-free lithium metal anode. The layer-by-layer assembled protonated carbon nitride nanosheets present uniform macroscopical structure without grainboundaries. The carbon nitride with ordered pores in basal plane provides high-speed lithium-ion transport channels with low tortuosity. Consequently, the assembled 324 Wh kg −1 pouch cell exhibits 300 stable cycles with a capacity retention of 90.0% and an average Coulombic efficiency up to 99.7%. The ultra-dense Li metal anode makes current collector-free anode possible, achieving high energy density and long cycle life of a 7 Ah cell (506 Wh kg −1 , 160 cycles). Thus, it is proved that a macroscopically uniform interface layer with lithium-ion conductive channels could achieve Li metal battery with promising application potential. Here, authors report a macroscopical grain boundary-free interface layer with microscopic Li + -selective conductive channels enables the ultra-dense Li metal deposition, resulting in a high energy density (506 Wh kg − 1 ) and long cycle life (160 cycles) pouch cell performance.