MXene Aerogel Scaffolds for High-Rate Lithium Metal Anodes

Li metal is considered to be an ultimate anode for metal batteries owing to its extremely high theoretical capacity and lowest potential. However, numerous issues such as short lifespan and infinite volume expansion caused by the dendrite growth during Li plating/stripping hinder its practical usage. These challenges become more grievous under high current densities. Herein, 3D porous MXene aerogels are proposed as scaffolds for high-rate Li metal anodes using Ti3C2 as an example. With high metallic electron conductivity, fast Li ion transport capability, and abundant Li nucleation sites, such scaffolds could deliver high cycling stability and low overpotential at current density up to 10 mAcm(-2). High rate performance is also demonstrated in full cells with LiFePO4 as cathodes. This work provides a new type of scaffolds for Li metal anodes and paves the way for the application of nongraphene 2D materials toward high energy density Li metal batteries.