Towards a stable Li–CO2 battery: The effects of CO2 to the Li metal anode

Rechargeable Li–CO 2 batteries are very attractive energy storage devices because of their high theoretical energy density and unique CO 2 capture capability. Unfortunately, Li metal anode is unstable to the widely used ethers-based electrolytes, and the related Coulombic efficiency is low. Here, in the ethers-based electrolyte, the effects of CO 2 to the Li metal anode was studied. Using a porous electrode , the reduced CO 2 will be replenished from outside upon cycling. We found that, sufficient CO 2 contributed to the formation of stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layers and protected the Li metal anode from rapid consumption. Under a current density of 1.0 ​mA ​cm −2 , the Coulombic efficiency of Li metal reached 99.0% after 200 cycles. Our work helps the researchers better understand the effects of CO 2 crossover on anode and also provides a promising method to develop a stable Li metal anode for Li–CO 2 battery.