Effect of Fern-Leaf-like Lithiophilic Silver on the Lithium Metal Anode-Free Battery

Abstract

The lithium metal anode-free battery is a promising energy storage device to serve electric vehicles (EVs) owing to its high energy density (40-50% greater than the lithium-ion at cell level), ease to fabricate, and low cost in manufacturing (Account for the absence of active and inactive anode material). However, the major issues, including lithium dendrite growth, volume fluctuation, poor cyclability, and low coulombic efficiency prevent the lithium metal anode-free battery from the practical implementation. Here, the coated fern-leaf-like lithiophilic silver on the Cu foil (Cu@AgDs) via an electroless method provided the uniform lithium plating and striping, minimizing the undesired lithium formation. As a result, Cu@AgDs as an anode for lithium-free batteries delivered a decent electrochemical performance with regard to pro-long cycling and coulombic efficiency. These findings shine the light on both fundamental and applied research, which may guide the model and invention of lithium metal anode-free battery at a commercial scale.