Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries
Abstract Pairing high-energy nickel-rich cathodes with current collectors as anodes presents a compelling strategy to significantly boost the specific energy of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, driving progress toward a transportation revolution. However, the limited active lithium inventory sour...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62163-5 |
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| author | Mengyu Tian Ronghan Qiao Guanjun Cen Li Tian Liubin Ben Hailong Yu Michael De Volder Chenglong Zhao Qidi Wang Xuejie Huang |
| author_facet | Mengyu Tian Ronghan Qiao Guanjun Cen Li Tian Liubin Ben Hailong Yu Michael De Volder Chenglong Zhao Qidi Wang Xuejie Huang |
| author_sort | Mengyu Tian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pairing high-energy nickel-rich cathodes with current collectors as anodes presents a compelling strategy to significantly boost the specific energy of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, driving progress toward a transportation revolution. However, the limited active lithium inventory sourced by the cathodes tend to be rapidly consumed by irreversible Li plating/stripping and interfacial side reactions. To address these limitations, we propose a dual-gradient metal layer as an innovative solution to mitigate active Li loss by promoting uniform Li deposition and in situ formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase. The operation of these batteries is investigated using a combination of electrochemical and chemical techniques to differentiate dead Li and interphase-bound Li inventory loss as well as material characterization methods to analyse the plated Li and interfacial composition and morphology. The developed dual gradient metal layer-based 600 mAh LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 | |Cu pouch cells achieve an areal capacity of 7.25 mAh cm−2 and deliver an 80% capacity retention over 160 cycles. We show that the proposed approach is compatible with a range of different metal materials, offering a promising path toward next generation long-lasting, high-energy, initially active material-free anode based Li metal batteries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-12aba300a2ed49049c7ec9af70c283b8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-12aba300a2ed49049c7ec9af70c283b82025-08-20T03:05:05ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-62163-5Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteriesMengyu Tian0Ronghan Qiao1Guanjun Cen2Li Tian3Liubin Ben4Hailong Yu5Michael De Volder6Chenglong Zhao7Qidi Wang8Xuejie Huang9Songshan Lake Materials LaboratoryBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 3rd South Street, ZhongguancunBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 3rd South Street, ZhongguancunSongshan Lake Materials LaboratorySongshan Lake Materials LaboratoryBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 3rd South Street, ZhongguancunDepartment of Engineering University of CambridgeShenzhen Key Lab of Energy Materials for Carbon Neutrality Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ShenzhenDepartment of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and TechnologySongshan Lake Materials LaboratoryAbstract Pairing high-energy nickel-rich cathodes with current collectors as anodes presents a compelling strategy to significantly boost the specific energy of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, driving progress toward a transportation revolution. However, the limited active lithium inventory sourced by the cathodes tend to be rapidly consumed by irreversible Li plating/stripping and interfacial side reactions. To address these limitations, we propose a dual-gradient metal layer as an innovative solution to mitigate active Li loss by promoting uniform Li deposition and in situ formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase. The operation of these batteries is investigated using a combination of electrochemical and chemical techniques to differentiate dead Li and interphase-bound Li inventory loss as well as material characterization methods to analyse the plated Li and interfacial composition and morphology. The developed dual gradient metal layer-based 600 mAh LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 | |Cu pouch cells achieve an areal capacity of 7.25 mAh cm−2 and deliver an 80% capacity retention over 160 cycles. We show that the proposed approach is compatible with a range of different metal materials, offering a promising path toward next generation long-lasting, high-energy, initially active material-free anode based Li metal batteries.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62163-5 |
| spellingShingle | Mengyu Tian Ronghan Qiao Guanjun Cen Li Tian Liubin Ben Hailong Yu Michael De Volder Chenglong Zhao Qidi Wang Xuejie Huang Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries Nature Communications |
| title | Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries |
| title_full | Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries |
| title_fullStr | Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries |
| title_short | Dual-gradient metal layer for practicalizing high-energy lithium batteries |
| title_sort | dual gradient metal layer for practicalizing high energy lithium batteries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62163-5 |
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