Zn–CxNy nanoparticle arrays derived from a metal–organic framework for ultralow-voltage hysteresis and stable Li metal anodes

Abstract

Lithium metal anode (LMA) possesses the largest energy density among all anode candidates, while dendrite growth is a huge barrier in the direct application of LMA in batteries. Herein, metal–organic framework (MOF) derived Zn–C_xN_y nanoparticle arrays are newly grown onto carbon cloth as an effective host toward lithium metal anode. The N and Zn species are lithiophilic to Li-ions, resulting in a stable Li plating/stripping process of up to 2300 h without running into a dendrite issue when operating at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². The newly developed ZNCC-Li anode also exhibits an ultralow voltage hysteresis of only 6.4 mV at the end of the operating process. This work creates an effective design of MOF-derived lithium metal anode suitable for high-energy batteries.