A research team has developed a technology that dramatically enhances the stability of ultra-thin metal anodes with a thickness of just 20μm. Led by Professor Yu Jong-sung from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST, the team proposed a new method using electrolyte additives to address the issues of lifetime and safety that have hindered the commercialization of lithium metal batteries. The work is published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
Lithium metal anodes (3,860 mAh g⁻¹) have over 10 times the capacity of widely used graphite anodes (372 mAh g⁻¹) and feature a low standard reduction potential, making them promising candidates for next-generation anode materials. However, during charge-discharge cycles, lithium tends to grow in dendritic forms, causing short circuits and thermal runaway, which leads to lifetime and safety issues. Moreover, due to volume expansion, the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) repeatedly degrades and reforms, leading to rapid electrolyte depletion.
The use of ultra-thin lithium metal with a thickness below 50μm is essential, especially for the commercialization of lithium metal batteries. However, such issues become more severe as thickness reduces. Accordingly, both academia and industry have focused on SEI engineering to enhance the stability of lithium metal anodes, among which SEI formation strategies using electrolyte additives have emerged as a simple yet effective approach.
