Eliminating Lightning-Rod Effect of Lithium Anodes via Sine-Wave Analogous MXene Layers

Lithium metal anodes are regarded as the most promising candidate for rechargeable lithium-based batteries, but uncontrollable Li dendrites hinder further applications. Here, sine-wave analogous MXene (Ti3C2Tx) (SWA-MXene) layers are produced by spreading aqueous MXene dispersion onto the sectional surface of a metallic coil and subsequently drying at room temperature. COMSOL Multiphysics simulations demonstrate that the low curvature in SWA-MXene layers homogenizes the distributions of lithium ions and electric field, efficiently eliminating the lightning-rod effect on the surface of aligned electrodes in the process of Li deposition. As a result, the flexible SWA-MXene layers show a low overpotential for lithium nucleation (approximate to 13.5 mV at 0.05 mA cm(-2)) and deep plating-stripping capacities up to 40 mAh cm(-2), as well as a long cycle life up to 1250 h. Full cells consisting of a SWA-MXene-Li anode and a LiFePO4 cathode also exhibit a durable cycle life up to 420 cycles at 1088 mA g(-1).

Automated summary

Researchers have developed a method using SWA-MXene layers to control lithium deposition and improve the application of lithium metal anodes in lithium-ion batteries. This method allows for the uniform distribution of lithium ions and electric field, eliminating the lightning-rod effect on the electrode surface and improving the efficiency and cycle life of lithium nucleation.