A ZnO decorated 3D copper foam as a lithiophilic host to construct composite lithium metal anodes for Li–O₂ batteries

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with a high theoretical capacity are seen as a type of the most potential energy storage system. Unfortunately, the growth of lithium dendrite, the irreversible side reactions, and the infinite volume alteration still curb the practical utilization of lithium metal anodes, resulting in low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and safety problems, etc. Herein, we synthesize a lithiophilic 3D copper foam host with uniformly distributed nano-flower-like ZnO particles (CuF/ZnO) and obtain the composite lithium metal anode containing the Li₂O, LiZn alloy, and pure Li by the infusion of molten Li (CuF/Li₂O-LiZn@Li). Benefitting from the advantages of the 3D structure of copper foam and the lithiophilicity of ZnO sites, the composite lithium metal anode can restrain the volume alternation and regulate the uniform deposition of lithium. The symmetrical cells of the composite lithium metal anode have a 1600 h long cycle life with a low polarization voltage of 15 mV, and the Coulombic efficiency can maintain about 97.8% at 1.0 mA·cm⁻², 1.0 mAh·cm⁻². Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]