Magnetron sputtering amorphous carbon coatings on metallic lithium: Towards promising anodes for lithium secondary batteries

• Amorphous carbon coatings were deposited onto the surface of metallic lithium.
• The formation of dendritic can be prevented according to the SEM photograph.
• The electrochemical performance is promoted due to the existence of a-C coating.
• The thickness of a-C coating affects the electrode performance from two aspects.

All the Li metal anode-based batteries suffer from a high propensity to form Li dendrites. To prevent the formation of dendritic lithium on the electrodes, amorphous carbon coatings are deposited onto the surface of metallic lithium foil by magnetron sputtering technique. The electrochemical performances of the amorphous carbon-coated lithium (Li/C) electrodes are investigated by galvanostatic charge/discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The compact carbon coatings on the surface of lithium foil can suppress the growth of dendritic lithium during charge–discharge process. The thickness of amorphous carbon coating affects the electrode from two aspects; the thick coating can prevent the formation of dendritic lithium much efficiently, but lead to a large impedance of Li+ transfer.