Aluminum-lithium alloy as a stable and reversible anode for lithium batteries

Li metal is a potential anode for lithium batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity (3860 mA h g(-1)); however, its practical use is handicapped by the formation of dendrites. Herein, we propose an Al-Li alloy as a stable and reversible anode achieved via pre-lithiation of Al foil. The Al-Li alloy has a chemical composition of LiAl, giving a theoretical capacity of 993 mA h g(-1), which is 2.67 times higher than that of graphite. Because of the pre-lithiation effect and the preserved mosaic-like morphology, the polarization associated with Li plating on an Al-Li alloy electrode is much smaller than that observed on a pristine Al foil electrode, and is just 1/10 as that recorded on a Li foil electrode. As a result, with fast kinetics, the Al-Li alloy electrode shows superiorly high reversibility. Importantly, the usability of Al-Li alloy as anodes is confirmed using sulfur and LiFePO4 as cathodes in full cells. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The Al-Li alloy, achieved via pre-lithiation of Al foil, serves as a stable and reversible anode for lithium batteries, with a high theoretical capacity and improved kinetic properties during the lithium plating process.