Facile generation of polymer–alloy hybrid layers for dendrite‐free lithium‐metal anodes with Improved moisture stability

Lithium‐metal anodes are recognized as the most promising next‐generation anodes for high‐energy‐storage batteries. However, lithium dendrites lead to irreversible capacity decay in lithium‐metal batteries (LMBs). Besides, the strict assembly‐environment conditions of LMBs are regarded as a challenge for practical applications. In this study, a workable lithium‐metal anode with an artificial hybrid layer composed of a polymer and an alloy was designed and prepared by a simple chemical‐modification strategy. Treated lithium anodes remained dendrite‐free for over 1000 h in a Li–Li symmetric cell and exhibited outstanding cycle performance in high‐areal‐loading Li–S and Li–LiFePO${}_4$ full cells. Moreover, the treated lithium showed improved moisture stability that benefits from the hydrophobicity of the polymer, thus retaining good electrochemical performance after exposure to humid air. (© 2019 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)