Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with high energy density are regarded as next-generation electric storage technologies. However, their application is greatly challenged by uncontrolled lithium (Li) dendrite growth and large volume expansion on the lithium metal anode (LMA). Herein, a porous three-dimensional (3D) host composed of aluminum nitride (AlN) and carbon black is constructed via facile doctor blading to regulate Li deposition. The lithiophilic AlN improves the electrolyte wettability and promotes the migration of Li ions into the host to enable inward Li plating rather than outward Li dendritic growth. The carbon black provides 3D conductive network and abundant active sites for guiding Li plating to decrease local current density and mitigate electrode polarization. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between the AlN and carbon black as well as the inherent porous structure, this 3D host achieves flat Li deposition, and exhibits ignorable volume expansion during repeated cycles. In corrosive ester electrolyte, the hybrid host prolongs the lifetime of lithium || copper cells from 60 to 200 cycles. Moreover, the host-composited LMA enables 120 stable cycles when paired with 10.5 mg cm−2 lithium iron phosphate cathode at a low negative/positive ratio of 2, delivering a decent capacity retention rate of 82.7 %.

Link:A hybrid three-dimensional host composed of aluminum nitride and carbon black to enable inward lithium deposition with ignorable volume expansion - ScienceDirect