A Nano-Silica-Tailored Three-Dimensional Graphene Current Collector for Improved Lithiophilicity and Wettability in Lithium Metal Anodes

Lightweight 3D carbon scaffolds are considered ideal holders for lithium metal anodes. However, the poor lithiophilic and wettable surface of carbon has inhibited the uniform distribution of metallic Li on carbon scaffolds. Herein, a modification strategy is proposed for tuning the wettability and lithiophilicity of 3D graphene scaffolds through the formation of Li-SiOx on nanosilica. The lightweight nanosilica-modified graphene scaffolds (nSiO2/G) effectively reduce local current density, enhance electrolyte wettability, and promote uniform lithium nucleation and deposition, thereby resisting dendrite and alleviating volume change. The Li-nSiO2/G anode exhibits excellent cycling stability over 750 h in symmetric cells. When paired with a LiFePO4 cathode, the full cell had a high-capacity retention of 95.8% over 150 cycles. This work presents a promising design for a 3D composite current collector and a manufacturing strategy with nanoscale modifications to improve the wettability and lithiophilicity of carbon scaffolds.