Lithiophilic Faceted Cu(100) Surfaces: High Utilization of Host Surface and Cavities for Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium metal anodes suffer from poor cycling stability and potential safety hazards. To alleviate these problems, Li thin-film anodes prepared on current collectors (CCs) and Li-free types of anodes that involve direct Li plating on CCs have received increasing attention. In this study, the atomic-scale design of Cu-CC surface lithiophilicity based on surface lattice matching of the bcc Li(110) and fcc Cu(100) faces as well as electrochemical achievement of Cu(100)-preferred surfaces for smooth Li deposition with a low nucleation barrier is reported.