Our new paper in Chemical Engineering Journal (IF:13.2) "Silver Salts Unlocking Dendrite-Free Lithium Plating Through Anion Engineering"

Achieving smooth and dendrite-free lithium deposition is critical for the commercialization of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). This study explores the role of silver salts (AgNO₃, AgF, AgCl, Ag₂CO₃, and Ag₂SO₄) in regulating lithium nucleation and solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) stability. Upon in situ reduction under lithiation conditions, silver ions form a uniform metallic Ag layer that serves as a highly lithiophilic nucleation seed, significantly lowering the plating overpotential and promoting dense lithium growth. Concurrently, the dissociated anions contribute to SEI formation, influencing interfacial stability and lithium-ion transport. Electrochemical characterizations reveal that AgNO₃-coated substrate achieves near-100% Coulombic efficiency, the lowest nucleation overpotential, and superior cycling stability compared to other silver salts. Advanced lithium-sensitive energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping confirms the uniform distribution of lithium and silver, correlating with the enhanced lithium plating reversibility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction further validate the formation of a stable Li–Ag alloy and a Li₃N-enriched SEI, which collectively suppress dendrite formation and improve interfacial stability. These findings establish AgNO₃-coated current collector as a promising and scalable strategy for high-performance LMBs, providing new insights into interface engineering for next-generation energy storage systems.