AgNO3-preplanted Li metal powder electrode: Preliminary formation of lithiophilic Ag and a Li3N-rich solid electrolyte interphase

Li metal powders (LMPs) are beneficial to fabricating thin and large-area Li electrodes for Li metal batteries (LMBs) owing to slurry coating-based manufacturing and facile impregnation of functional additives. 3D structure of LMP-based composites can alleviate the local current density even at a higher current. However, nonuniform nucleation and growth persist as barriers to guaranteeing both the performance and safety of LMBs. Here, we report an AgNO3-preplanted LMP electrode for securing long stable cycling of LMBs. During pre-mixing the LMP slurry with AgNO3 additive, it can chemically form lithiophilic Ag that can offer favorable nucleation sites throughout the LMP surface. At the same time, nitrates can help enrich a highly conductive, robust Li3N into solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Pre-planting AgNO3 into a 40 mu m-thick LMP electrode reinforced the cycling stability up to 500 cycles with 86.8 % capacity retention at 1C/3C charging/discharging rates and allowed superior rate capability up to 30C.