Rational\nModulating Ionic Transportation via Facile\nZIF-L/rGO Lamellar Interlayer toward Dendrite-Free Anode for High-Performance\nLi-Metal Batteries

It is still a huge challenge for lithium metal batteries\n(LMBs)\nwith high energy density for practical application due to the intractable\ndendrite-growth issue triggered by inhomogeneous Li deposition as\nwell as the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). For the purpose\nof constructing a dendrite-free Li metal anode, herein we designed\nand fabricated a functional separator (ZIF-L/rGO@PP) by facile vacuum\ninfiltration in order to realize the effective regulation of ion transport.\nThe nanochannels in ZIF-L with polar functional groups promote the\nuniform Li<sup>+</sup> flux and the restricted migration of anions,\nwhile the rGO lamella endows the coating with good flexibility by\nreinforcing the interlayer bonding interactions. Based on the synergistic\neffects of ZIF-L and rGO, the functional separator exhibited superb\nelectrolyte wettability and a high Li<sup>+</sup> transference number\nof 0.66, ensuring the uniformity of Li<sup>+</sup> transmission and\nthus induced a robust interface of the Li anode. Consequently, the\ncells with ZIF-L/rGO@PP separators delivered prolonged lifespan over\n700 h with a small overpotential of less than 40 mV at 2 mA cm<sup>–2</sup>. More importantly, the employment of the separator\nenables Li||NCM811 full cell with enhanced cycling stability even\nunder the limited N/P ratio of 2.5.