Li metal anodes, which have attracted much attention for their high specific capacity and low redox potential, face a great challenge in realizing their practical application. The fatal issue of dendrite formation gives rise to internal short circuit and safety hazards and needs to be addressed. Here we propose a rational strategy of trapping Li within microcages to confine the deposition morphology and suppress dendrite growth. Microcages with a carbon nanotube core and porous silica sheath were prepared and proved to be effective for controlling the electrodeposition behavior. In addition, the insulative coating layer prevents concentrated electron flow and decreases the possibility of “hot spots” formation. Because of the Li trapper and uniform electron distribution, the electrode with delicate structure exhibits a dendrite-free morphology after plating 2 mA h cm^–2 of Li. As the dendrite growth is suppressed, the as-obtained electrode maintains a high plating/stripping efficiency of 99% over 200 cycles. This work delivers new insights into the design of rational Li metal anodes and hastens the practical application of Li metal batteries.

中文翻译：

---

用碳纳米管核将锂捕获到空心二氧化硅微球中，以用于无枝晶的锂金属阳极

锂金属阳极由于其高比容量和低氧化还原电位而备受关注，在实现其实际应用方面面临着巨大的挑战。枝晶形成的致命问题引起内部短路和安全隐患，需要加以解决。在这里，我们提出了一种在微笼中捕获锂的合理策略，以限制沉积形态并抑制枝晶生长。制备了具有碳纳米管核心和多孔二氧化硅护套的微笼，并证明对控制电沉积行为有效。此外，绝缘涂层可防止集中的电子流，并减少“热点”形成的可能性。由于锂陷阱和均匀的电子分布，^{– 2}的李。随着枝晶生长的抑制，所获得的电极在200个循环中保持了99％的高电镀/剥离效率。这项工作为合理的锂金属阳极的设计提供了新的见解，并加快了锂金属电池的实际应用。