Turn enemies into friends: Repurposing the Tip Effect via Magneto-Electric Orchestration

Lithium metal anodes are ideal materials for next-generation energy storage systems, but their practical application is hindered by safety issues arising from lithium dendrite growth. According to the Chazalviel model, a drop in lithium-ion concentration leads to the formation of a space charge region, where an inhomogeneous electric field promotes lithium dendrite growth. Traditional approaches primarily focus on optimizing electrolytes, but they face challenges such as high costs and limited practicality.
We propose an innovative design concept: by constructing a three-dimensional vertically aligned Cu/Fe₃O₄ Mott-Schottky nano-tip array, the traditionally “detrimental” tip structure is transformed into an interfacial framework capable of homogenizing electric fields and ion distribution. This structure regulates lithium deposition through a triple synergistic mechanism: (1) the nanoarray framework uniformly distributes the surface electric field and lithium-ion concentration; (2) the built-in electric field of the Mott-Schottky heterojunction enriches lithium ions and guides three-dimensional bottom-up deposition; (3) the magnetic properties of Fe₃O₄ guide lithium-ion flow via magnetohydrodynamic effects, dynamically suppressing dendrite growth.
This work provides a new interfacial design paradigm for dendrite-free lithium metal anodes through the synergistic regulation of multiple physical fields. The work titled “Dense Nano-Tips Homogenize Lithium Deposition”, was published in Advanced Powder Materials (Available online on 12 January 2026).