Breakthrough in Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Published in Nature: New Electrolyte Enables Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Anodes

The research team published a breakthrough work in the journal Nature, titled "An in-situ formed fluorine-rich solid electrolyte interphase enables dendrite-free lithium metal anodes", addressing the safety and lifespan challenges of traditional lithium-ion batteries at high energy densities—such as lithium dendrite growth and a sharp increase in interfacial impedance.

The team developed a novel electrolyte formula based on the synergistic effect of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and lithium difluorophosphate (LiPO₂F₂), which can in-situ construct a dense, flexible, and highly ion-conductive fluorinated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the lithium metal surface.

Experimental results demonstrate that this new interface effectively suppresses the disordered growth of lithium dendrites, enabling the lithium metal anode to stably cycle for over 1000 hours at a high current density of 10 mA/cm², with Coulombic efficiency maintained above 99.5%. Meanwhile, high-nickel ternary cathode batteries equipped with this electrolyte achieve an energy density breakthrough of 350 Wh/kg while extending cycle life to 1500 cycles, providing a critical solution for next-generation high-energy-density power batteries and energy storage systems.