Polymer Nanofiber-Guided Uniform Lithium Deposition for Battery Electrodes

Lithium metal is one of the most promising candidates as an anode material for next-generation energy storage systems due to its highest specific capacity (3860 mAh/g) and lowest redox potential of all. The uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth that causes a poor cycling performance and serious safety hazards, however, presents a significant challenge for the realization of lithium metal-based batteries. Here, we demonstrate a novel electrode design by placing a three-dimensional (3D) oxidized polyacrylonitrile nanofiber network on top of the current collector. The polymer fiber with polar surface functional groups could guide the lithium ions to form uniform lithium metal deposits confined on the polymer fiber…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy
• AF
  Agency for Science, Technology and Research
• OO
  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• VT
  Vehicle Technologies Program