• • ALD/MLD coatings achieve thickness control at the atomic/molecular scale (sub-nanometer to a few nanometers), enabling uniform, pinhole-free artificial SEI layers that suppress dendrite growth and improve cycling stability; for example, Al2O3 ALD coatings of ~5 nm thickness reduce interfacial resistance and extend cycle life by >300% compared to bare Li.
• • Inorganic ALD coatings such as Al2O3, TiO2, and ZrO2 exhibit high mechanical strength (elastic modulus >100 GPa) and chemical stability, effectively blocking electrolyte decomposition and maintaining a stable SEI over hundreds of cycles, as evidenced by Coulombic efficiencies >99% for over 500 cycles.
• • Organic MLD coatings (e.g., alucone) provide flexibility and ionic conductivity, accommodating volume changes during Li plating/stripping; hybrid organic-inorganic coatings combine mechanical robustness with ionic transport, achieving low overpotential (<20 mV) and dendrite-free morphology at current densities up to 3 mA cm−2.
• • Integration of ALD/MLD-engineered interfaces in full cells (e.g., Li||LiFePO4) yields high capacity retention (>80% after 1000 cycles) and rate capability up to 5C, demonstrating practical viability for high-energy-density batteries.