Recent Advances of Electroplating Additives Enabling Lithium Metal Anodes to Applicable Battery Techniques

Lithium (Li) metal batteries have long been deemed as the representative high-energy-density energy storage systems due to the ultrahigh theoretical capacity and lowest electrochemical potential of Li metal anode. Unfortunately, the intractable dendritic Li deposition during cycling greatly restrains the large-scale applications of Li metal anodes. Recent advances have been explored to address this issue, among which a specific class of electrolyte additives for electroplating is deeply impressive, as they are economic and pragmatic. Different from the conventional additives that construct solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on anodes, they make dendrite-free Li metal anodes feasible through altering Li plating behavior. In this research news article, the interlinked principles between industrial electroplating and Li deposition are firstly illustrated. The featured effects of electroplating additives on regulating Li plating morphology are also summarized and mainly divided into three categories: co-deposition with Li cation, coordination with Li cation, and leveling effect of Li films. Furthermore, the mechanism exploration or derivative use of electroplating additive for dendrite suppression and potential research directions are proposed, with emphasizing that industrial electroplating might enable Li metal anode to scalable battery techniques and spread to metal battery systems beyond Li.