Multidimensional Co3O4/NiO heterojunctions with rich-boundaries incorporated into reduced graphene oxide network for expanding the range of lithiophilic host

The commercial application of lithium (Li) metal anode is hindered by the growth of Li dendrites. Here, we develop a multidimensional composite structure composed of Co3O4/NiO heterojunction particles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets, that allows Li to nucleate and deposit selectively in one direction. Among, two transition metal oxides (TMOs) without lithiophilicity are transformed into lithiophilic species due to the rich phase boundaries and high Li adsorption energies on interfaces, which can provide uniform active sites and reduce nucleation overpotential for Li deposition. Meanwhile, the rGO substrate with high electrical conductivity and large specific surface area can form a conductive network between TMOs and alleviate volume expansion caused by Li deposition. Benefitting from the synergistic effect of the heterojunctions and carbon substrate, the Co3O4/NiO-rGO regulates the local current density and enables the dendrite-free Li plating/stripping behavior. At a current density of 1 mA cm(-2), the Li metal anode with the Co3O4/NiO-rGO host exhibits remarkable electrochemical performance, consistently maintaining high Coulombic efficiency (>93.8%) over 1000 cycles. Additionally, the full cells matched with LiFePO4 cathode also display high rate capability of 130 mAh g(-1) at 1 C and stable cycling life over 500 cycles.

Automated summary

A multidimensional composite structure composed of Co3O4/NiO heterojunction particles and reduced graphene oxide nanosheets is developed to achieve dendrite-free Li plating/stripping behavior. The composite structure provides uniform active sites and reduces nucleation overpotential for Li deposition, while also having high electrical conductivity and large specific surface area to form a conductive network and alleviate volume expansion caused by Li deposition.