In-Plane Highly Dispersed Cu₂O Nanoparticles for Seeded Lithium Deposition

Uncontrollable dendrite growth is one of the major problems that hinders the application of lithium (Li) metal anode in rechargeable Li batteries. Achieving uniform Li deposition is the key to tackle this intractable problem. Herein, we report the highly dispersed Cu₂O nanoparticles (NPs) in situ anchored on partially reduced graphene oxide via a low-temperature pyrolysis process could serve as seeds for the Li metal deposition. The lithiophilic nature of Cu₂O NPs reduces the overpotential of Li nucleation and relieves the electrode polarization, enabling uniform Li nucleation and smooth plating, thus effectively eliminating dendritic and dead Li. As a result, the resulted Li metal electrodes deliver a high Coulombic efficiency of 95.6% after 140 cycles at a current density of 2 mA cm^-2 and a prolonged lifespan (800 h at 1 mA cm^-2) for the symmetrical cell.