Regulating Interfacial Lithium Ion by Artificial Protective Overlayers for High-Performance Lithium Metal Anodes.

The main limitation of lithium (Li) metal anodes lies in their severe dendrite growth due to nonuniform Li+ flux and sluggish Li+ transportation at the anode surface. Fabricating artificial protective overlayer with tunable surficial properties on Li metal is a precise and effective strategy to relieve this problem. In this Concept article, we focus on the basic principles of regulating interfacial Li+ through artificial protective overlayers and summarize the material preparation as well as structural design of these overlayers. The remaining challenges and promising directions of artificial protective overlayers are then highlighted to provide clues for the practical application of Li metal anodes.