Junwei Wu

The accelerating global transition toward decarbonized energy systems has placed advanced energy storage at the forefront of materials science research

In recent years, research on Li metal batteries (LMBs) has surged, with Li alloy materials garnering extensive attention due to their significant commercial prospects. Despite the progress, the precise mechanisms by which various alloying elements suppress Li dendrite growth remain inadequately understood. Herein, microalloyed Li₄₀M@Cu (M = Mg, Ag, Al, Zn, and Sn) composite anodes were successfully prepared by a melting-rolling method. This research conducted a thorough investigation into the effects and mechanisms of these microalloys in influencing Li dendrite growth and stability. Comparative analyses of cycle stability and Li plating/stripping behaviors across different electrodes reveal that microalloying not only suppresses dendrite growth but also substantially enhances the lifespan of LMBs. Notably, Li-Mg and Li-Zn alloys outperform their Li-Ag, Li-Al, and Li-Sn counterparts, attributed to superior Li⁺ diffusion coefficients, reduced solid electrolyte interphase impedances, increased exchange current densities, more stable delithiation morphologies, and improved wettability. These findings significantly advance the understanding of dendrite growth in Li alloys and provide robust theoretical insights for designing and developing advanced multicomponent Li alloy materials in LMBs.

This study reports a fast and scalable route for fabricating efficient and durable SOFCs, leveraging nickel oxide-gadolinium-doped ceria (NiO-GDC) nanocomposites and thin-film electrolytes based on reactive sputtering. The Ni and GdCe targets are first cosputtered to form films with a stack-layered structure of metallic Ni and GDC, followed by sputtering YZr and GdCe targets alternatively to make multilayer electrolytes. By annealing the sputtered anode-electrolyte assembly with the La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ cathode in a single step at 1000 °C, full cells feature heterostructure ceramic multilayers; NiO-GDC nanocomposites with heterointerfaces are in situ constructed, while the multilayer electrolytes are fully dense. The electrochemical performance is significantly enhanced by the insertion of the NiO-GDC nanocomposite anode and the optimization of the film configuration, achieving a peak power density of 2.72 W cm^-2 at 800 °C. Furthermore, no degradation is observed during the stability test, and the fine porous nanostructure of the Ni-GDC anode is preserved.