Significant Strain Dissipation via Stiff‐Tough Solid Electrolyte Interphase Design for Highly Stable Alloying Anodes

Abstract

The pulverization of alloying anodes significantly restricts their use in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). This study presents a dual‐phase solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) design that incorporates finely dispersed Al nanoparticles within the LiPON matrix. This distinctive dual‐phase structure imparts high stiffness and toughness to the integrated SEI film. In comparison to single‐phase LiPON film, the optimized Al/LiPON dual‐phase SEI film demonstrates a remarkable increase in fracture toughness by 317.8%, while maintaining stiffness, achieved through the substantial dissipation of strain energy. Application of the dual‐phase SEI film on an Al anode leads to a 450% enhancement in cycling stability for lithium storage in dual‐ion batteries. A similar enhancement in cycling stability for silicon anodes, which face severe volume expansion issues, is also observed, demonstrating the broad applicability of the dual‐phase SEI design. Specifically, homogeneous Li‐Al alloying has been observed in conventional LIBs, even when paired with a high mass loading LiNi0.5Co0.3Mn0.2O2 cathode (7 mg cm–2). The dual‐phase SEI film design can also accelerate the diffusion kinetics of Li‐ions through interface electronic structure regulation. This dual‐phase design can integrate stiffness and toughness into a single SEI film, providing a pathway to enhance both the structural stability and rate capability of alloying anodes.