Oxygen vacancy-enriched Co3O4 as lithiophilic medium for ultra-stable anode of lithium metal batteries.

• Oxygen vacancy-enriched Co 3 O 4 nanowire arrays decorated on nickel foam is used for a dendrite-free Li metal anode. • The O vacancy -enriched metal oxides meet the ionic/electronic diffusion kinetics at the initial stage of lithium deposition. • The lithium utilization rate of red-Co 3 O 4 /NF at the current density of 1 mA cm−2 is 98.5%. [Display omitted] Lithium metal as a promising anode material has been widely applied in many advanced high-energy density batteries. However, uncontrollable Li dendrite formation and infinite volume expansion in lithium anode result in short lifespan and severe safety hazards. In this contribution, we report that utilization of oxygen vacancy-enriched Co 3 O 4 nanowire arrays as lithiophilic material is an effective strategy to obtain ultra-long stable lithium metal anode. The oxygen vacancy can serve as electronic charge carrier to facilitate electron transfer. Moreover, it can induce the generation of local electric field to accelerate lithium ions migration and enable uniform Li+ distribution, which are beneficial for homogeneous lithium nucleation. Combining the excellent ionic/electronic diffusion and the volume buffer offered by the nanowire arrays, the obtained electrode shows high coulombic efficiency of 98.5% at 1 mA cm−2 for 230 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]