Constructing a 3D composite Li metal anode (LMA) along with the engineering of artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is a promising strategy for achieving dendrite-free Li deposition and high cycling stability. The nanostructure of artificial SEI is closely related to the performance of the LMA. Herein, the self-grown process and morphology of in situ formed Li2 S during lithiation of Cux S is studied systematically, and a large-sized sheet-like Li2 S layer as an artificial SEI is in situ generated on the inner surface of a 3D continuous porous Cu skeleton (3DCu@Li2 S-S). The sheet-like Li2 S layer with few interfacial pitfalls (Cu/Li2 S heterogeneous interface) possesses enhanced diffusion of Li ions. And the continuous porous structure provides transport channels for lithium-ion transport. As a result, the 3DCu@Li2 S-S presents a high Coulombic efficiency (99.3%), long cycle life (500 cycles), and high-rate performance (10 mA cm-2 ). Furthermore, Li/3DCu@Li2 S anode fabricated by thermal infusion method inherits the synergistic advantages of sheet-like Li2 S and continuous porous structure. The Li/3DCu@Li2 S anode shows significantly enhanced cycling life in both liquid and solid electrolytes. This work provides a new concept to design artificial SEI for LMA with high safe and high performance.
Keywords: dendrite-free; high Coulombic efficiency; inorganics-enriched solid electrolyte interphase; lithium metal anodes; self-grown.
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