Nanoengineered electrode material boosts cycling and efficiency in Li-metal batteries

Lithium metal (Li-metal) batteries are among the most promising alternatives to widely employed rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, as they could store more energy and thus extend the battery life of many electronic devices. Despite their potential, existing Li-metal batteries have been found to be less stable than Li-ion batteries, while also exhibiting lower coulombic efficiencies (CE) and degrading faster over time.

In addition, the Li-metal electrodes integrated in these batteries tend to expand and contract when a battery is charging and discharging. These changes in volume can result in cracks and a loss of electrical contact, further hindering the batteries’ performance.

Researchers at Shandong University, Zhejiang University and other institutes recently introduced a new nanoengineered material that could be used as an electrode in Li-metal batteries, which does not expand or shrink during charging and discharging. The new material, presented in a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, is comprised of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a thin material that conducts electricity, and zinc oxide, a stable and electrochemically active ceramic.

“Our recent work stemmed from decades of frustration in the lithium metal battery field, namely that the highest capacity anode material consistently failed due to its infinite volume changes during cycling,” Hao Chen, co-senior author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. “These volume fluctuations rupture solid electrolyte interfaces and trigger irreversible corrosion, preventing the >99.9% coulombic efficiency (CE) essential for practical batteries.”

The main goal of this recent study by Chen and his colleagues was thus to realize an electrode material that does not change in volume and that entirely isolates lithium from the corrosive electrolytes inside a battery. The composite material they realized, based on rGO and ZnO, was found to prompt the formation of a durable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), the protective layer separating electrodes from electrolytes in battery cells.

“We designed a two-dimensional, continuous layered-cavity zero-volume-change complete-sealing rGO&ZnO host,” explained Chen. “Its architecture has two key features. First, Li plating/stripping occurs entirely within rigid cavities, eliminating destructive volume expansion. Second, a continuous host structure acts like corrosion-proof armor, entirely preventing electrolyte penetration and contact with Li.”

The material nanoengineered by Chen and his colleagues was found to successfully overcome the limitations of electrodes that are widely employed in Li-metal batteries. In initial tests, it was found to exhibit no changes in volume during charging and discharging, which is highly desirable and proved difficult to achieve so far.

“Our host enabled unprecedented Li cycling,” said Chen. “We attained a record efficiency of 99.99–99.9999% and a coulombic efficiency of almost 2,000 cycles—surpassing the critical >99.9% threshold for viable Li-metal batteries. We solved the core challenge of volume-change-driven Li degradation, demonstrating for the first time that near-perfect Li reversibility is achievable.”

The composite electrode material engineered by this team of researchers could soon be deployed in Li-metal batteries with varying compositions to further assess its potential and performance. In the future, it could contribute to the development of Li-metal batteries with high energy densities and ultra-long lifespans.

“Looking ahead, we are scaling this host design for commercial pouch cells while refining manufacturing processes,” added Chen. “We’re also adapting its zero-volume-change sealing concept to other battery chemistries (e.g., sodium-metal anodes) and exploring integrations with solid-state electrolytes to further enhance safety and energy density—aiming to accelerate real-world deployment through industry partnerships in the next 3–5 years.”

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