A strategy of selective and dendrite-free lithium deposition for lithium batteries

Lithium (Li) dendrite alleviation via three-dimensional (3D) structured current collectors has been well studied for Li metal-based batteries. Here we demonstrate that a hollow carbon nanofiber with proper interior to exterior radius ratio can enable Li-ions to deposit on the inner surface of the channels selectively due to the drifting effect from the structural stresses. Based on this principle, a lotus-root like structure is further designed to realize a dendrite-free hybrid Li anode with a high Li loading capability. The lotus-root like carbon nanofiber (LCNF) anode, with being coated by a lithiated Nafion (LNafion) layer as artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI), achieves a capacity of > 3600 mA h g(carbon)(-1) for Li deposition/stripping along with a greatly improved CE. The fundamental understanding of the relation between the Li deposition and the matrix geometry will provide new insight for the rational design of the hybrid Li anode in the Li metal-based battery system.