Cryo-TEM image of a single crystal of lithium metal that was seeded on a surprising, lithiophoboic nanocomposite surface (IMAGE)
Caption
Cryo-TEM image of a single crystal of lithium metal that was seeded on a surprising, lithiophoboic nanocomposite surface made of lithium fluoride and iron. The lithium crystal has a hexagonal bipyramidal shape. In a Nature Energy paper published on Feb. 9, 2023, the UC San Diego and UC Irvine researchers showed that this surprise formation of lithium crystal seeds leads to dense lithium layers even at high charging rates, resulting in long-cycle-life lithium-metal batteries that can also be fast charged. This discovery overcomes a common phenomena in rechargeable lithium-metal batteries in which high-rate charging always leads to porous lithium and short cycle lifes. By replacing the ubiquitous copper surfaces on the negative side (the anode) of lithium-metal batteries with this lithiophobic surface made of lithium fluoride and iron, the researchers have opened a new avenue for creating more reliable, safer, higher performance lithium-metal batteries.
Credit
Chunyang Wang and Huolin Xin / UC Irvine
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