title: Defect-induced plating of lithium metal within porous graphene networks.
abstract: Lithium metal is known to possess a very high theoretical capacity of 3,842 mAh g(-1) in lithium batteries. However, the use of metallic lithium leads to extensive dendritic growth that poses serious safety hazards. Hence, lithium metal has long been replaced by layered lithium metal oxide and phospho-olivine cathodes that offer safer performance over extended cycling, although significantly compromising on the achievable capacities. Here we report the defect-induced plating of metallic lithium within the interior of a porous graphene network. The network acts as a caged entrapment for lithium metal that prevents dendritic growth, facilitating extended cycling of the electrode. The plating of lithium metal within the interior of the porous graphene structure results in very high specific capacities in excess of 850 mAh g(-1). Extended testing for over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles indicates excellent reversibility and coulombic efficiencies above 99%.
authors.affiliation: 1] Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA [2].
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.affiliation: 1] Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA [2].
authors.forename: Abhay V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Mechanics of Solids and Structures, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Dibakar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Eklavya
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Junwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eksik
authors.affiliation: 1] Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA [2] Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Vivek B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Shenoy
authors.affiliation: 1] Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA [2] Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
authors.forename: Nikhil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koratkar