Fig. 1.

Schematic diagram of Li deposition on electrodes with microscopic surface roughness. a Schematics showing Li deposition on an electrode with a PP separator. Because of the stronger electrical field, Li ions will aggregate near the protuberant tip, leading to the formation of Li dendrites. b Schematics showing Li deposition on an electrode with a GO-g-PAM@PP separator. The GO-g-PAM molecular brushes with a large quantity of polar functional groups (C = O, N–H) provide high-concentration functional sites for the efficient adhesion and homogeneous distribution of Li ions at the molecular level, giving rise to dendrite-free uniform Li deposition