Bimetallic MOF-Derivatives Enabled Multi-Sited Current Collector for High-Performance Anode-Free Lithium Metal Battery

Abstract

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) offer ultrahigh energy density but suffer from unstable interfaces and nonuniform lithium deposition. Herein, a Ni/CoO-modified carbon cloth (CC@Ni/CoO) derived from bimetallic NiCo-MOFs is developed as a multi-sited functional current collector to regulate lithium nucleation and growth. The synergistic effect of multiple nucleation sites (CoO and Ni), combined with the conductive 3D framework, provides abundant lithiophilic sites and stable ion transport pathways, enabling uniform lithium deposition and suppressing dendrite formation. Consequently, the anode-free CC@Ni/CoO||LFP full cell maintains stable performance over 1000 cycles at 2C with a high capacity retention of 91.88 %. By implementing a rational interfacial design, this work holds significant promise for enabling future high-energy-density storage technologies.