A Thin, Stable, and Flexible Janus Lithium-Textile Anode for Long-Life and High-Energy Lithium Metal Battery

Equipping thin lithium metal anodes (LMAs) in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) is essential to realize a high energy density of the battery. However, the cycling stability of thin LMAs, especially at high depth of discharge (DOD), is very poor. Here, the rapid preparation of stable and thin LMAs through selective wetting of molten lithium (Li) on a Janus structured conductive textile is reported, which yields a thin Li (∼3.0 mg cm⁻²) coating on one side of the conductive framework. This Janus Li-textile composite anode not only significantly reduces the use of Li metal by 80% in comparison to the homogeneous composite anode, but also enhances the cycling stability via the Janus lithiophobic–lithiophilic framework and upper buffering space. At a high DOD of 75%, the Janus Li-textile anode exhibits an ultralong cycle life over 3000 h. LMBs equipping with the Janus Li-textile anode show an enhanced energy density by 30%, with a remarkable cycling life of 2000 cycles, and capacity retention of 99.94% per cycle.