Hierarchical Oa-rich Co3O4 nanoarray anchored on Ni foam with superior lithiophilicity enabling ultrastable lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are considered as the ultimate choice in the next-generation high performance energy-storage systems due to their outstanding theoretical energy density (>= 500 Wh kg(-1)). However, the unavoidable dendrite issues and infinite volume change during repeated plating/stripping induce poor electrochemical performance and serious safety issues. Here, we designed and prepared an integrated O-alpha (O- or O-2(2-))rich Co3O4 nanoarrays anchored on Ni foam (O-alpha-Co3O4@NF) scaffold as a stable host for ultra-fast lithium metal infusion. Remarkably, the highly reactive O alpha behaves low energy bonding and strong electron affinity, which are further verified by the results of density functional theory, giving rise to high lithiophilicity and inhibiting the dendrites formation effectively. Moreover, the by-product NiO formed on the NF during the calcination process combines with O-alpha-Co3O4 to display superior dual-wettability toward molten Li. As a result, the O-alpha-Co3O4 @NF electrode achieves a Coulombic efficiency above 99.00% more than 450 cycles at a current density of 1 mA cm(-2), and the O alpha-Co3O4 @NF-Li anode presents a super-long and stable lifetime of 800 h during the repeated plating/ striping process. When coupled with a high-loading LiFePO4 cathode, the full cells deliver excellent rate capability and 88.96% capacity retention after 200 cycles under 0.5C.

Automated summary

In this study, an O-alpha-Co3O4@NF nanoarray anchored on Ni foam was designed as a stable host for ultra-fast lithium metal infusion, effectively solving the dendrite formation and volume change issues in lithium metal batteries. The nanoarray exhibited high lithiophilicity and dual-wettability, leading to excellent electrochemical performance and safety. When used as an anode material, the nanoarray demonstrated superior rate capability and capacity retention.