Three-dimensional Ag/carbon nanotube-graphene foam for high performance dendrite free lithium/sodium metal anodes

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2022.05.044

Abstract

Abstract:

Although lithium metal and sodium metal are promised as ideal anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs), they still suffer from inevitable dendrite growth. In light of this, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are sputtered onto three-dimensional carbon nanotube decorated graphene foam (3D CNT-GF) to construct superior 3D Ag/CNT-GF composite matrix for lithium metal anodes (LMAs) and sodium metal anodes (SMAs). With this design, lithiophilic/sodiophilic Ag NPs could provide favorable sites to guide Li/Na metal nucleation and growth, thus leading to low nucleation overpotentials, high Coulombic efficiency and long cycle performance. Accordingly, 3D Ag/CNT-GF electrodes can stably cycle for 1000 and 750 cycles at 3 mA cm⁻² with 1 mAh cm⁻² for SMAs and LMAs, respectively. More attractively, it can also stably sustain 300 cycles (SMAs) and 500 cycles (LMAs) at a large current density of 5 mA cm⁻² with 1 mAh cm⁻². The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the lithiophilic/sodiophilic electrode surface, 3D porous electrode structure and the dendrite-free morphology as demonstrated by ex-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in-situ optical microscopy analyses. Furthermore, full cells based on Na@3D Ag/CNT-GF||Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃@carbon (NVP@C) and Li@3D Ag/CNT-GF||LiFePO₄ (LFP) could deliver highly reversible capacities of 90.1 and 106.4 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, at 100 mA g⁻¹ after 200 cycles for SIBs and LIBs, respectively. This work demonstrates a novel 3D Ag/CNT-GF matrix for boosting Li/Na deposition stability for their future applications.

Key words: Li/Na metal anodes, Lithiophilic/sodiophilic 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructure, Dendrite-free morphology, Uniform deposition, In-situ optical microscopy investigation

Bofang Tian, Zhenxin Huang, Xilian Xu, Xiehong Cao, Hui Wang, Tingting Xu, Dezhi Kong, Zhuangfei Zhang, Jie Xu, Jinhao Zang, Xinjian Li, Ye Wang. Three-dimensional Ag/carbon nanotube-graphene foam for high performance dendrite free lithium/sodium metal anodes[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2023, 132: 50-58.

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of Li and Na metals nucleation and growth process on (a) 3D Ag/CNT-GF and (b) 2D planar Cu foil.

Fig. 2. (a) Schematic diagram of the fabrication process of 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructures. (b-d) SEM, (e, f) TEM, (g) HRTEM images of 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructures. (h1) SEM image, and the elemental mapping images of (h2) C and (h3) Ag of 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructures.

Fig. 3. Structure characterization of 3D Ag/CNT-GF and 3D CNT-GF nanostructures. (a) XRD patterns. (b) XPS spectra of Ag 3d (c) BET analysis and (d) TGA curve of 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructures. Inset in Fig. 3(c) is the BJH adsorption pore-size distribution of the 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructures.

Fig. 4. Electrochemical performance of the Cu, 3D CNT-GF and 3D Ag/CNT-GF electrodes for Na plating/stripping. (a) CE of Cu, 3D CNT-GF and 3D Ag/CNT-GF at 3 mA cm?2 with 1 mAh cm?2. (b) Rate performance of Cu, 3D CNT-GF, and 3D Ag/CNT-GF at various current densities. Inset is an enlarged view to show the short circuit. (c) Voltage-capacity curves of Na metal plating on 3D Ag/CNT-GF and (d) 3D CNT-GF electrode. (e) EIS of 3D Ag/CNT-GF (red) and 3D CNT-GF (blue) electrodes before cycles and after 10th cycle. (f) Long cycle performance of the three electrodes at 3 mA cm?2 with 1 mAh cm?2. (g) Rate performance of Na@3D Ag/CNT-GF||NVP@C full cell at different current densities. (h) Long cycle performance of the Na@3D Ag/CNT-GF||NVP@C full cell at 100 mA g?1. Inset in (h) is a red LED powered by the full cell.

Fig. 5. Explore the mechanism of Na metal deposition behavior. In situ optical photographs of Na plating on (a) Cu, (b) 3D CNT-GF and (c) 3D Ag/CNT-GF electrodes captured by a digital camera. The current density is 3 mA cm?2. COMSOL simulation of the local current density distribution on the (d) 2D planar Cu (e) 3D CNT-GF and (f) 3D Ag/CNT-GF electrodes. Schematic diagram to show (g) uneven Na-ion flux distribution on 2D planar Cu foil, (h) reduced current density over 3D CNT-GF, and (i) uniform Na-ion flux distribution enabled by 3D Ag/CNT-GF nanostructure.

References 75

[1]	D. Lin, Y. Liu, Y. Cui, Nat. Nanotechnol. 12 (2017) 194-206. DOI URL
[2]	G. Zheng, S.W. Lee, Z. Liang, H.W. Lee, K. Yan, H. Yao, H. Wang, W. Li, S. Chu, Y. Cui, Nat. Nanotechnol. 9 (2014) 618-623. DOI URL
[3]	X.B. Cheng, R. Zhang, C.Z. Zhao, Q. Zhang, Chem. Rev. 117 (2017) 10403-10473. DOI URL
[4]	Y. Guo, H. Li, T. Zhai, Adv. Mater. 29 (2017) 170 0 0 07.
[5]	R. Zhang, X.R. Chen, X. Chen, X.B. Cheng, X.Q. Zhang, C. Yan, Q. Zhang, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56 (2017) 7764-7768. DOI URL PMID
[6]	D. Wang, W. Zhang, W. Zheng, X. Cui, T. Rojo, Q. Zhang, Adv. Sci. 4 (2017) 1600168. DOI URL
[7]	J. Mohanta, H.J. Kim, S.M. Jeong, J.S. Cho, H.J. Ahn, J.H. Ahn, J.K. Kim, Chem. Eng. J. 391 (2020) 123510. DOI URL
[8]	B.R. Sutherland, Joule 2 (2018) 589-591.
[9]	K. Shen, Z. Wang, X. Bi, Y. Ying, D. Zhang, C. Jin, G. Hou, H. Cao, L. Wu, G. Zheng, Y. Tang, X. Tao, J. Lu, Adv. Energy Mater. 9 (2019) 1900260. DOI URL
[10]	X. Shen, H. Liu, X.B. Cheng, C. Yan, J.Q. Huang, Energy Storage Mater. 12 (2018) 161-175.
[11]	C. Ma, T. Xu, Y. Wang, Energy Storage Mater. 25 (2020) 811-826.
[12]	L. Ma, J. Cui, S. Yao, X. Liu, Y. Luo, X. Shen, J.K. Kim, Energy Storage Mater. 27 (2020) 522-554.
[13]	B. Wang, T. Ruan, Y. Chen, F. Jin, L. Peng, Y. Zhou, D. Wang, S. Dou, Energy Storage Mater. 24 (2020) 22-51.
[14]	Y. Xu, C. Wang, E. Matios, J. Luo, X. Hu, Q. Yue, Y. Kang, W. Li, Adv. Energy Mater. 10 (2020) 2002308. DOI URL
[15]	Y. Xie, Z. Han, H. Li, J. Hu, L. Zhang, A. Wang, S. Chang, J. Xu, C. Liu, Y. Lai, Z. Zhang, Chem. Eng. J. 427 (2022) 130959. DOI URL
[16]	Z. Zhang, Y. Chen, S. Sun, K. Sun, H. Sun, H. Li, Y. Yang, M. Zhang, W. Li, S. Chou, H. Liu, Y. Jiang, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 119 (2022) 167-181. DOI URL
[17]	W. Ling, N. Fu, J. Yue, X.X. Zeng, Q. Ma, Q. Deng, Y. Xiao, L.J. Wan, Y.G. Guo, X. W. Wu, Adv. Energy Mater. 10 (2020) 1903966. DOI URL
[18]	J. Zheng, S. Chen, W. Zhao, J. Song, M.H. Engelhard, J.G. Zhang, ACS Energy Lett. 3 (2018) 315-321. DOI URL
[19]	T. Li, X.Q. Zhang, P. Shi, Q. Zhang, Joule 3 (2019) 2647-2661.
[20]	E. Markevich, G. Salitra, F. Chesneau, M. Schmidt, D. Aurbach, ACS Energy Lett. 2 (2017) 1321-1326. DOI URL
[21]	X. Ye, W. Xiong, T. Huang, X. Li, Y. Lei, Y. Li, X. Ren, J. Liang, X. Ouyang, Q. Zhang, J. Liu, Appl. Surf. Sci. 569 (2021) 150899. DOI URL
[22]	C. Wei, L. Tan, Y. Zhang, H. Jiang, B. Xi, S. Xiong, J. Feng, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 115 (2022) 156-165. DOI URL
[23]	S.S. Chi, X.G. Qi, Y.S. Hu, L.Z. Fan, Adv. Energy Mater. 8 (2018) 1702764. DOI URL
[24]	W.S. Xiong, Y. Xia, Y. Jiang, Y. Qi, W. Sun, D. He, Y. Liu, X.Z. Zhao, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10 (2018) 21254-21261. DOI URL
[25]	Y. Xu, A.S. Menon, P.P. R.M.L. Harks, D.C. Hermes, L.A. Haverkate, S. Unnikrishnan, F.M. Mulder, Energy Storage Mater. 12 (2018) 69-78.
[26]	J. Yan, G. Zhi, D. Kong, H. Wang, T. Xu, J. Zang, W. Shen, J. Xu, Y. Shi, S. Dai, X. Li, Y. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A 8 (2020) 19843-19854.
[27]	C. Chu, N. Wang, L. Li, L. Lin, F. Tian, Y. Li, J. Yang, S.-x. Dou, Y. Qian, Energy Storage Mater. 23 (2019) 137-143.
[28]	S.S. Chi, Y. Liu, W.L. Song, L.Z. Fan, Q. Zhang, Adv. Funct. Mater. 27 (2017) 1700348. DOI URL
[29]	Z. Liang, D. Lin, J. Zhao, Z. Lu, Y. Liu, C. Liu, Y. Lu, H. Wang, K. Yan, X. Tao, Y. Cui, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 113 (2016) 2862-2867.
[30]	D. Lin, Y. Liu, Z. Liang, H.W. Lee, J. Sun, H. Wang, K. Yan, J. Xie, Y. Cui, Nat. Nanotechnol. 11 (2016) 626-632. DOI URL
[31]	S. Liu, S. Tang, X. Zhang, A. Wang, Q.H. Yang, J. Luo, Nano Lett. 17 (2017) 5862-5868. DOI URL
[32]	C. Wang, H. Wang, E. Matios, X. Hu, W. Li, Adv. Funct. Mater. 28 (2018) 1802282. DOI URL
[33]	J. Yan, S. Huang, Y.V. Lim, T. Xu, D. Kong, X. Li, H.Y. Yang, Y. Wang, Mater. Today 54 (2022) 110-152.
[34]	C. Sun, A. Lin, W. Li, J. Jin, Y. Sun, J. Yang, Z. Wen, Adv. Energy Mater. 10 (2019) 1902989. DOI URL
[35]	B. Wang, T. Jiang, L. Hou, H. Wang, T. Xu, Z. Zhang, D. Kong, X. Li, Y. Wang, Solid State Ion. 368 (2021) 115711. DOI URL
[36]	H. Wang, T. Jiang, B. Wang, L. Zhang, D. Kong, T. Xu, J. Zang, Z. Zhang, X. Li, Y. Wang, J. Power Sources 507 (2021) 230294. DOI URL
[37]	K. Yan, Z. Lu, H.W. Lee, F. Xiong, P.C. Hsu, Y. Li, J. Zhao, S. Chu, Y. Cui, Nat. Energy 1 (2016) 16010.
[38]	Q. Chen, B. Liu, L. Zhang, Q. Xie, Y. Zhang, J. Lin, B. Qu, L. Wang, B. Sa, D.L. Peng, Chem. Eng. J. 404 (2021) 126469. DOI URL
[39]	S. Liu, M. Bai, X. Tang, W. Wu, M. Zhang, H. Wang, W. Zhao, Y. Ma, Chem. Eng. J. 417 (2021) 128997. DOI URL
[40]	Z. Huang, Z. Wang, B. Tian, T. Xu, C. Ma, Z. Zhang, J. Zang, D. Kong, X. Li, Y. Wang, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 118 (2022) 199-207. DOI URL
[41]	C. Wei, L. Tan, Y. Tao, Y. An, Y. Tian, H. Jiang, J. Feng, Y. Qian, Energy Storage Mater. 34 (2021) 12-21.
[42]	S. Wang, Y. Jie, Z. Sun, W. Cai, Y. Chen, F. Huang, Y. Liu, X. Li, R. Du, R. Cao, G. Zhang, S. Jiao, ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 3 (2020) 8688-8694. DOI URL
[43]	K. Lu, S. Gao, G. Li, J. Kaelin, Z. Zhang, Y. Cheng, ACS Mater. Lett. 1 (2019) 303-309.
[44]	N.W. Li, Y.X. Yin, C.P. Yang, Y.G. Guo, Adv. Mater. 28 (2016) 1853-1858. DOI URL
[45]	J. Guo, S. Zhao, H. Yang, F. Zhang, J. Liu, J. Mater. Chem. A 7 (2019) 2184-2191.
[46]	J. Pu, J. Li, Z. Shen, C. Zhong, J. Liu, H. Ma, J. Zhu, H. Zhang, P.V. Braun, Adv. Funct. Mater. 28 (2018) 1804133. DOI URL
[47]	P. Xue, S. Liu, X. Shi, C. Sun, C. Lai, Y. Zhou, D. Sui, Y. Chen, J. Liang, Adv. Mater. 30 (2018) 1804165. DOI URL
[48]	Z. Sun, H. Jin, Y. Ye, H. Xie, W. Jia, S. Jin, H. Ji, ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 4 (2021) 2724-2731. DOI URL
[49]	W. Yang, W. Yang, L. Dong, G. Shao, G. Wang, X. Peng, Nano Energy 80 (2021) 105563.
[50]	H. Wang, Y. Wu, S. Liu, Y. Jiang, D. Shen, T. Kang, Z. Tong, D. Wu, X. Li, C.S. Lee, Small Methods 5 (2021) 2001050.
[51]	J. Wu, P. Zou, M. Ihsan-Ul-Haq, N. Mubarak, A. Susca, B. Li, F. Ciucci, J.K. Kim, Small 16 (2020) 2003815.
[52]	X. Li, G. Yang, S. Zhang, Z. Wang, L. Chen, Nano Energy 66 (2019) 104144.
[53]	T. Maiyalagan, X. Dong, P. Chen, X. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. 22 (2012) 5286-5290. DOI URL
[54]	J. Liu, L. Zhang, H.B. Wu, J. Lin, Z. Shen, X.W. Lou, Energy Environ. Sci. 7 (2014) 3709-3719. DOI URL
[55]	X. Wang, Z. Pan, Y. Wu, G. Xu, X. Zheng, Y. Qiu, M. Liu, Y. Zhang, W. Li, Nanoscale 10 (2018) 16562-16567.
[56]	Z.X. Huang, Y. Wang, J.I. Wong, W.H. Shi, H.Y. Yang, Electrochim. Acta 167 (2015) 388-395. DOI URL
[57]	C. Lu, Z. Gao, B. Liu, Z. Shi, Y. Yi, W. Zhao, W. Guo, Z. Liu, J. Sun, Adv. Funct. Mater. 31 (2021) 2101233. DOI URL
[58]	N. Zhu, X. Mao, G. Wang, M. Zhu, H. Wang, G. Xu, M. Wu, H.K. Liu, S.X. Dou, C. Wu, J. Mater. Chem. A 9 (2021) 13200-13208.
[59]	D. Kong, Y. Wang, S. Huang, B. Zhang, Y.V. Lim, G.J. Sim, Y.A.P. Valdivia, Q. Ge, H.Y. Yang, ACS Nano 14 (2020) 9675-9686.
[60]	Y. Wang, Y.V. Lim, S. Huang, M. Ding, D. Kong, Y. Pei, T. Xu, Y. Shi, X. Li, H.Y. Yang, Nanoscale 12 (2020) 4341-4351.
[61]	L. Mo, A.L. Chen, Y. Ouyang, W. Zong, Y.E. Miao, T. Liu, ACS Appl. Mater. Inter- faces 13 (2021) 48634-48642.
[62]	J. Xu, H. Tang, T. Xu, D. Wu, Z. Shi, Y. Tian, X. Li, Ionics 23 (2017) 3273-3280 (Kiel). DOI URL
[63]	Y. Wang, D. Kong, W. Shi, B. Liu, G.J. Sim, Q. Ge, H.Y. Yang, Adv. Energy Mater. 6 (2016) 1601057. DOI URL
[64]	Z. Liang, G. Zheng, C. Liu, N. Liu, W. Li, K. Yan, H. Yao, P.C. Hsu, S. Chu, Y. Cui, Nano Lett. 15 (2015) 2910-2916. DOI URL PMID
[65]	J. Lin, D. Ma, Y. Li, P. Zhang, H. Mi, L. Deng, L. Sun, X. Ren, Dalton Trans. 46 (2017) 13101-13107. DOI URL
[66]	B.N. Yun, H.L. Du, J.Y. Hwang, H.G. Jung, Y.K. Sun, J. Mater. Chem. A 5 (2017) 2802-2810.
[67]	L. Hou, T. Xu, R. Liu, H. Yuan, D. Kong, W. Shen, J. Zang, X. Li, Y. Wang, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 104 (2020) 1526-1538. DOI URL
[68]	W. Shen, H. Li, C. Wang, Z. Li, Q. Xu, H. Liu, Y. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A 3 (2015) 15190-15201.
[69]	J. Hu, S. Zhong, T. Yan, J. Power Sources 508 (2021) 230342. DOI URL
[70]	R. Zhang, X.B. Cheng, C.Z. Zhao, H.J. Peng, J.L. Shi, J.Q. Huang, J. Wang, F. Wei, Q. Zhang, Adv. Mater. 28 (2016) 2155-2162. DOI URL
[71]	H. Chen, A. Pei, D. Lin, J. Xie, A. Yang, J. Xu, K. Lin, J. Wang, H. Wang, F. Shi, D. Boyle, Y. Cui, Adv. Energy Mater. 9 (2019) 1900858. DOI URL
[72]	Q. Li, S. Zhu, Y. Lu, Adv. Funct. Mater. 27 (2017) 1606422. DOI URL
[73]	M. Li, B. Sun, Z. Ao, T. An, G. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A 8 (2020) 10199-10205.
[74]	H. Yang, L. Zhang, H. Wang, S. Huang, T. Xu, D. Kong, Z. Zhang, J. Zang, X. Li, Y. Wang, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 611 (2022) 317-326. DOI URL
[75]	Z. Xie, X. An, Z. Wu, X. Yue, J. Wang, X. Hao, A. Abudula, G. Guan, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 74 (2021) 119-127. DOI URL