Fabrication of Hybrid Silicate Coatings by a Simple Vapor Deposition Method for Lithium Metal Anodes

Lithium metal anodes are highly promising for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, implication of lithium metal anodes is hampered by the unstable electrochemical behavior. Herein, the fabrication of hermetic coatings of hybrid silicate on lithium metal surface using a simple vapor deposition technique under the ambient condition is reported. Such coatings consist of a hard inorganic moiety that helps to suppress lithium dendrites and a soft organic moiety that enhances the toughness. Lithium metal batteries, including Li-LiFePO4 and Li-S batteries, made with such coated anodes show significantly improved lifetime. This work provides a simple yet effective approach to stabilize lithium metal anodes for high-performance lithium metal batteries.