Role of Lithiophilic Metal Sites in Lithium Metal Anodes

Lithium (Li) metal is one of the most promising anode materials but suffers from inhomogeneous Li deposition, which is a limiting factor for the practical application of Li metal batteries. Some metals with high lithiophilicity are extremely recognized for achieving uniform Li deposition, but how these metals work is still unknown. Herein, the role of lithiophilic metals on the Li-plating process is explored on the basis of the experiments and theoretical calculations. The nucleation barrier is significantly reduced, owing to the alloying reaction between metals and Li species. The Li ions are subsequently attracted by the above favorable lithiophilic nucleus and conversed into Li atoms as a result of the high binding energy between the Li species and alloy nuclei. Besides, deposited Li diffuses into the electrode lattice via the channels with a low diffusion barrier. By construction of metal sites as well as the formation of alloy nuclei with high lithiophilicity, a dendrite-free anode can be realized. This study sheds fresh light on the lithiophilic electrochemistry and dendrite inhibition strategies for safe and high-energy-density Li metal batteries.