Silicon Quantum Dots Induce Uniform Lithium Plating in a Sandwiched Metal Anode

Abstract Lithium (Li) metal anodes are demanded by high‐energy Li batteries because Li has the highest capacity and low electrode potential. However, Li metal anodes usually show poor cyclability and unsafe deposition at anode/separator interfaces, which may increase the risk of short circuits. In this work, we fabricate a sandwiched structure of reduced graphene oxides (rGO) with silicon (Si) quantum dots (QDs) as the inducing agents between rGO layers. Because of the lithiophilicity of Si QDs, Li growth is favorably guided away from the unsafe anode/separator interface towards the interlayer positions, significantly improving the cyclability and safety of the Si‐QDs‐sandwiched rGO anode. The uniformly‐distributed Si QDs and layered electrode structure can regulate Li plating/stripping to avoid the superficial Li growth and reduce the accumulation of solid electrolyte interphase. The growth‐guiding strategy using the sandwiched structure provides a new approach to fabricating high energy Li‐based battery anodes.