All-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur Batteries of High Cycling Stability and Rate Capability Enabled by a Self-Lithiated Sn-C Interlayer

All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs) have attracted intense interest due to their high theoretical energy density and intrinsic safety. However, constructing durable lithium (Li) metal anodes with high cycling efficiency in ASSLSBs remains challenging due to poor interface stability. Here, a compositionally stable, self-lithiated tin (Sn)-carbon (C) composite interlayer (LSCI) between Li anode and solid-state electrolyte (SSE), capable of homogenizing Li-ion transport across the interlayer, mitigating decomposition of SSE, and enhancing electrochemical/structural stability of interface, is developed for ASSLSBs. The LSCI-mediated Li metal anode enables stable Li plating/stripping over 7000 h without Li dendrite penetration. The ASSLSBs equipped with LSCI thus exhibit excellent cycling stability of over 300 cycles (capacity retention of ≈80%) under low applied pressure (<8 MPa) and demonstrate improved rate capability even at 3C. The enhanced electrochemical performance and corresponding insights of the designed LSCI broaden the spectrum of advanced interlayers for interface manipulation, advancing the practical application of ASSLSBs.