Lithiophilic 3D Nanoporous Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Dendrite-Free and Ultrahigh-Rate Lithium-Metal Anodes

Realizing the promise of lithium anodes

27 May 2019

Carbon nanomaterials doped with nitrogen atoms could dramatically enhance the storage capacity of rechargeable lithium batteries, researchers from the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR) at Tohoku University have shown.

Lithium-ion batteries typically use graphite-based anodes to store lithium during charging. Theoretically, anodes made from lithium metal would permit far higher battery capacities. But in practice, pure lithium anodes have short lifespans due to the dramatic volume change during charging and discharging and their tendency to form needle-like structures that can short-circuit the battery.

Nanoporous blocks of carbon nanomaterials that incorporate a small proportion of nitrogen could be the ideal host material to overcome these challenges. Carbon nanomaterials are light and possess excellent electrical conductivity and chemical stability — but have a lithium-phobic surface that has limited lithium loading.

Now, a team that included AIMR researchers has formed a lithiophilic structure with great potential as a battery anode material. They did this by incorporating nitrogen into the structure to modify its surface properties.

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References

1. Advanced Materials 31, 1805334 (2019). doi: 10.1002/adma.201805334