Open AccessStructural modulation of lithium metal-electrolyte interface with three-dimensional metallic interlayer for high-performance lithium metal batteries
Author(s) -
Hongkyung Lee,
Jongchan Song,
HeeTak Kim,
Jung-Ki Park,
HeeTak Kim
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep30830
Subject(s) - anode , materials science , electrolyte , electrode , metal , separator (oil production) , lithium metal , lithium (medication) , composite material , chemical engineering , chemistry , metallurgy , medicine , physics , engineering , thermodynamics , endocrinology
The use of lithium (Li) metal anodes has been reconsidered because of the necessity for a higher energy density in secondary batteries. However, Li metal anodes suffer from ‘dead’ Li formation and surface deactivation which consequently form a porous layer of redundant Li aggregates. In this work, a fibrous metal felt (FMF) as a three-dimensional conductive interlayer was introduced between the separator and the Li metal anode to improve the reversibility of the Li metal anode. The FMF can facilitate charge transfer in the porous layer, rendering it electrochemically more active. In addition, the FMF acted as a robust scaffold to accommodate Li deposits compactly in its interstitial sites. The FMF-integrated Li metal (FMF/Li) electrode operated with a small polarisation even at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , and it exhibited a seven times longer cycle-life than that of an FMF-free Li electrode in a symmetric cell configuration. A Li metal battery (LMB) using the FMF/Li electrode and a LiFePO 4 electrode exhibited a two-fold increase in cycling stability compared with that of a bare Li metal electrode, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of this approach for high performance LMBs.