Planar Li growth on Li21Si5 modified Li metal for the stabilization of anode

Lithium (Li) metal is widely considered the ultimate anode for future rechargeable batteries. However, dendritic growth and related parasitic reactions during long-term cycling often lead to severe safety hazards and catastrophic failure. Herein, we fabricate a hybrid anode by coating single-phase Li21Si5 on lithium metal. The resultant electrodes show a stable cycle and depressed polarization in symmetric and half cells. A planar plating/stripping behavior is observed on the modified anode. The investigation of the interplay of Li and Li21Si5 shows relatively large adsorption energy in the Li-Si system. The deposition and stripping are surface processes, and Li21Si5 maintains its intrinsic phase structure. The deposited Li layer around Li21Si5 also has the advantage of diminished preferred orientation, which also contributes to the planar growth of Li. Both LiFePO4 (LFP) and LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM) cathodes were applied to further demonstrate the enhanced rate and cycle performance. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.