Facile Electroless Plating Method to Fabricate a Nickel–Phosphorus-Modified Copper Current Collector for a Lean Lithium-Metal Anode

The compatibility of current collectors with reactive Li is key to inducing stable Li cycling and prolonged cycle life of lean Li-metal batteries. Herein, a thin and uniform layer of Ni–P complex was built on the surface of a Cu current collector (NiP@Cu) via an efficient, controllable, and cost-effective electroless plating method. The thickness, morphology, composition, and roughness of the Ni–P deposition were successfully regulated. Lithiophilicity of the current collector was greatly improved by Ni–P deposition, which effectively reduced the Li nucleation overpotential and suppressed the Li dendrite growth. In addition, NiP@Cu promoted an inorganic LiF/Li3P-rich solid electrolyte interphase to facilitate interfacial charge transfer and eliminate excessive side reactions between Li and the electrolyte. As a result, the Coulombic efficiency of half-cells remained above 98.5% for more than 400 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2 and 98.2% for more than 250 cycles at 1 mA/cm2. Full cells with NiP@Cu also showed superior performance compared to those with bare Cu. This work proposes a promising surface modification method to develop a stable, dendrite-free, and cost-effective anode current collector for high-energy-density lean Li-metal batteries.