High Li⁺ Ionic Flux Separator Enhancing Cycling Stability of Lithium Metal Anode

Abstract

The metallic lithium anode provides unparalleled opportunities for rechargeable batteries with very high energy density. A main problem hindering the development of cells using metallic lithium anodes stems from the electrochemical instability of the interface between metallic lithium and organic liquid electrolytes. This paper reports an approach rationally designing the surface characteristic of separator for stable, dendrite-free operation of lithium–metal batteries. A unique polymer multilayer PEI(PAA/PEO)3 was fabricated on the microporous polyethylene (PE) separator by a simple layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly process, which maintains the pore structure and thickness of PE separator but remarkably enhances the ionic conductivity (from 0.36 mS cm–1 to 0.45 mS cm–1) and Li+ transference number (from 0.37 to 0.48), as well as stabilizes lithium metal anodes against the reaction with liquid electrolytes during storage and repeated charge/discharge cycles, which is responsible for restraining the electrode polarization and the formation of lithium dendrites, and therefore endows lithium metal batteries with long-term cycling at high columbic efficiency and excellent rate capability, as well as the improved safety.