Strategic Melamine Coating on Lithium Metal for Li ₃ N-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase and Improved Battery Cycling Stability

The practical applications of lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) are limited by challenges such as dendrite formation and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), especially at higher C-rates. This study introduces melamine-coated Li metal anodes (LMAs), forming a Li3N-rich SEI layer that improves ionic conductivity and mechanical stability. The optimized melamine-coated LMA demonstrated uniform coverage resulting in denser Li deposition, nearly doubled cycle life (∼148 cycles at 0.5 C, 1 C = 4.1 mA cm–2), compared to bare Li. These findings emphasize that coating materials-induced beneficial SEI components could lead to improvement of LMB performance.