Li metal is considered a highly desirable anode for next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable lithium batteries. However, irregular Li dendrite formation and infinite relative volume changes prevent the commercial adoption of Li-metal anodes. Here, electrophoretic deposition of black phosphorus (BP) on commercial Cu foam (BP@Cu foam) is reported to regulate Li nucleation for the first time. First-principles calculations reveal that the unique two-dimensional (2D) structure of BP is beneficial to Li intercalation and propagation. Compared with the random Li nucleation and growth on bare Cu foam, Li ions are preferably confined into the BP layers, which induces uniform Li nucleation at the early stage of the Li deposition and guides the following lateral Li growth on BP@Cu foam. In addition, the three-dimensional (3D) porous and conductive framework of Cu foams further mitigate the volume change and dissipate the current density. Attributing to these merits, the BP@Cu foam exhibits significantly enhanced Coulombic efficiency and cycling stability compared with bare Cu foam. In the full-cell configuration paired with a Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ or LiFePO₄ cathode, the BP@Cu foam also boosts the battery performances. This work provides new insights into the development of BP and other elaborate 2D materials for achieving dendrite-free Li-metal anodes.

中文翻译：

---

在3D多孔集电器上电泳沉积黑磷以调节无枝晶锂金属阳极的Li成核

锂金属被认为是下一代高能量密度可充电锂电池的极好的阳极。然而，不规则的锂枝晶形成和无限的相对体积变化阻止了锂金属阳极的商业应用。在此，据报道，黑磷（BP）在商业铜泡沫（BP @ Cu泡沫）上的电泳沉积首次调节了Li成核。第一性原理计算表明，BP独特的二维（2D）结构有利于Li的嵌入和传播。与裸露的Cu泡沫上的随机Li成核和生长相比，Li离子优选地被限制在BP层中，这会在Li沉积的早期诱导均匀的Li成核，并引导随后的侧面Li在BP @ Cu泡沫上横向生长。此外，Cu泡沫的三维（3D）多孔导电框架进一步减轻了体积变化并消除了电流密度。由于这些优点，与裸露的Cu泡沫相比，BP @ Cu泡沫表现出显着增强的库仑效率和循环稳定性。在全电池配置中与锂电池配对₄ Ti ₅ O ₁₂或LiFePO ₄阴极，BP @ Cu泡沫也可提高电池性能。这项工作为实现无枝晶锂金属阳极的BP和其他精细2D材料的开发提供了新见解。