Synthesis of Zn quantum dots on carbon cloth by liquid-phase laser scanning ablation for Li metal anodes

Abstract

The bulk loading materials (such as Zn, Sn, etc.) on Li host with low Li atoms binding energy are undesirable for regulating Li plating/stripping and improving the performance of batteries. Herein, a physical process, liquid-phase laser scanning ablation, achieves the enrichment of Zn quantum dots (Zn QDs) with controllable coordination on carbon cloth (CC) as Li hosts. It is obtained that Zn quantum dots are enriched on carbon cloth under liquid laser (LLSA-ZnQDs@CC) for preparing LMAs. The high local temperature during laser ablation promotes the nucleation of Zn QDs. In particular, the absorption of photon energy by the carbon substrate modulates the coordination structure of Zn, forming the Zn QDs-semiembedded CC structure with C-Zn chemical bonding, which modulates the space charge distribution in the localized area around the Zn QDs sites, accelerate the rapid transport of Li + and show the enhanced Li atoms binding energy of −2.19 eV. Consequently, the application of LLSA-ZnQDs@CC to LMAs exhibits uniform Li plating/stripping and excellent electrochemical performance.