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, non-uniform 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 μm-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.