Universal rapid Joule carbothermal synthesis of flexible carbon/metal oxide lithiophilic membranes for high-performance lithium metal batteries
Yisha Wang, Kui Xu, Qiao Zhang, Longwei Ke, Yiming Dai, Yan Yan, Kun Rui, Huijuan Lin, Jixin Zhu
Abstract
Surface engineering of carbon materials induces structural modulation with appealing functionalities for versatile applications. However, practical deployment demands simplified modification steps and time-saving operations. Microwave technology can produce a strong instant magnetic-heating effect, avoiding the presence of a temperature gradient to cause nanoparticle agglomeration and multiple synthesis stages. Herein, we propose a rapid Joule carbothermal synthesis of a 3D flexible carbon cloth with ultrasmall metal oxide nanoparticles (MOx@CC) upon microwave irradiation within several minutes. Owing to the extensive selection of metal precursors, this approach can be applied to achieve a variety of active metal oxide nanoparticles decorated on carbon cloth. Furthermore, the modified carbon cloth can serve as a lithiophilic framework to efficiently homogenize Li+ flux and mitigate the dendrite formation. Ascribed to these merits, a prototype of the prelithiation MOx@CC anode paired with the LiFePO4 cathode exhibits satisfactory performance upon repetitive cycling, highlighting the possibility for a safe battery system.