Flexible mixed ion-electron conductor fabric for stable and dendrite-free Li-metal anodes

Li-metal batteries are promising candidates for next generation rechargeable batteries. However, the hazards caused by the growth of Li-dendrite and enormous volume fluctuations during cycling hinder its practical applications. Here, to solve these problems, a flexible mixed ion-electron conducting fabric scaffold is constructed by uniformly incorporating Li0.33La0.56TiO3 nanoparticles into a 3D carbon nanofiber skeleton. The mixed conductor fabric cannot only homogenize the distribution of electric filed and alleviate volume changes, but also can accelerate the migration and distribution of Li+, thus achieving uniform Li plating/stripping behavior by balanced ion/electron transport. Consequently, the obtained stable and dendrite-free Li-metal anode has a notable cycling stability and rate performance. This work provides a promising direction for the design of practical composite Li-metal anodes.

Automated summary

This study successfully addresses the issues of Li-dendrite growth and volume fluctuations in Li-metal batteries by constructing a flexible mixed ion-electron conducting fabric scaffold, leading to the design of a stable and dendrite-free Li-metal anode.