Dendrite-Free Non-Newtonian Semisolid Lithium Metal Anode
Yunbo Zhang, Zhiyuan Han, Zhijia Huang, Chen Zhang, Chong Luo, Guangmin Zhou, Wei Lv, Quan‐Hong Yang
Abstract
Dendrite growth hinders the practical uses of the lithium metal anode (LMA) toward a high-energy-density battery. From the mechanics perspective, the lithium growth on a solid substrate yields a large strength, leading to a short circuit and worsened nonuniform lithium deposition. Inspired by quicksand in nature, we designed a non-Newtonian shear-thinning LMA. Such a quicksand-like LMA shows flowability under pressure and removes the solid substrate for dendrite growth, effectively releasing the stress in electrodes, especially at large current density and high deposition capacity. As a result, a good cycling performance is realized in symmetric cells even under a high current density of 20 mA cm–2 and a high deposition capacity of 8 mAh cm–2. The assembled Li–LiFePO4 full cells also show a long stable cycling performance under a low N/P ratio. Moreover, the quicksand-like LMA eliminates the inner stress and keeps the integrity during repeated bending, showing potential use in flexible devices.