(Invited) High-performance lithium metal batteries

The success of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has brought evident convenience to human society, but state-of-the-art LIBs with a carbon anode are approaching their energy density limits. Li metal is considered the ultimate anode material due to its ultra-high theoretical specific capacity of 3860 mAh g^-1, which is more than 10 times higher than lithiated graphite. Nonetheless, Li anode suffers from poor safety and low cycling efficiency due to its high reactivity. Electrolytes that work with Li anode should possess excellent stability against Li metal or form a highly passivating interface. It is also critical to control the amount of Li in the cell, preferably having no excess Li at the anode side. In this presentation, next-generation electrolytes that enable such types of high-performance Li metal batteries will be discussed, including advanced liquid electrolytes, garnet-type ceramic electrolytes and hybrid electrolytes.