An Organic Pigment Derived, Nitrogen-Enriched 3D Carbon Current Collector for Enhanced Electrochemical Kinetics and Reversibility in Li Metal Batteries

As the global climate crisis escalates, achieving carbon neutrality, particularly through electric vehicles, has become increasingly urgent. With graphite anodes nearing their performance limits, Li metal anodes are considered the "holy grail" for next-generation anode materials due to their exceptional theoretical capacity of 3860 mAh g-1 and the lowest reduction potential of -3.04 V (vs. SHE). However, their practical application is hindered by challenges such as dead Li formation, Li dendrite growth, poor Coulombic efficiency, and significant volumetric changes. To address these issues, carbon-based current collectors have garnered considerable interest as promising solutions.
Among them, nitrogen-enriched three-dimensional carbon current collectors derived from organic pigments, specifically pigment red, show great potential for enhancing electrochemical kinetics and reversibility in lithium metal batteries. Notably, the nitrogen content can be regurated via carbonization process, making fabrication both efficient and adaptable. This study investigates how nitrogen incorporation, crystallinity, and the 3D structure of these current collectors impact the electrochemical reversibility of lithium deposition and dissolution, optimizing their performance in Li metal batteries. Nitrogen-enriched 3D carbon current collectors, fabricated from pigment red, show particular promise in improving the electrochemical kinetics and reversibility of Li metal batteries. The nitrogen content derived from pigment red can be regulated via carbonization temperature, offering a convenient and effective fabrication process. The effects of nitrogen inclusion, crystallinity, and the three-dimensional structure of the current collectors on electrochemical reversibility have been explored to optimize battery performance.
In this presentation, we will share our research findings, providing valuable insights into the potential of new carbon-based current collectors to advance Li metal battery technology.