ACS applied materials & interfaces | 2019
Seed-free Selective Deposition of Lithium metal into Tough Graphene Framework for Stable Lithium Metal Anode.
Abstract
Graphene has been wildly used as a host to suppress dendrite growth to stabilize lithium metal anode. However, the high overpotential of lithium deposition on pure graphene have to be lowered by doping or employing precious metal. Additionally, the soft nature of graphene rendered itself to aggregate, consequently squeezing room for lithium accommodation. Herein, a tough graphene framework composed by 3D periodic hollow spheres was reported as free-standing host to stabilize lithium metal anodes. The prepared 3D periodic hollow structure not merely reinforces the framework to maintain hollow structure under pressure caused by assembling battery, but also lower the overpotential without the help of dopant or precious metal. It is worthy of noting that high efficiency of ion diffusion, thanking to the channels interconnecting hollow spheres by holes on the walls, benefits both suppression of lithium dendrite and rate capability. The properties of low density and high mechanical strength make graphene frameworks electrode a promising lightweight Li host material, which reveals a new avenue for designing high-energy density electrode materials.