New dry electrode with lithium metal cuts first-cycle loss 75%, boosting EV range and simplifying battery production.
A team of researchers in South Korea has developed a dry-process battery electrode that cuts initial capacity loss by about 75 percent and could boost electric vehicle driving range by roughly 20 percent.
The group, led by Professor Won-Jin Kwak at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Junghyun Choi of Gachon University and Professor Janghyuk Moon of Chung-Ang University, addressed a long-standing problem in thick, dry-processed electrodes: poor ion mobility and high irreversible lithium loss during the first charge-discharge cycle.Thick electrodes are considered essential for next-generation batteries because they increase energy density by packing more active material into the same footprint. They are also produced without toxic solvents, making them more environmentally friendly than conventional wet-coated electrodes. But their thicker active layers and dry binders often cause uneven solid-electrolyte interphase formation and significant lithium loss in the first cycle.To solve this, the team inserted a thin lithium-metal film between the anode active material layer and the copper current collector. Instead of using a conventional primer to improve adhesion, the lithium-metal layer performs multiple roles at once.One layer, triple functionThe lithium film acts as an adhesion layer, replaces the primer, and supplies lithium to compensate for the initial irreversible loss. Driven by electrochemical potential, lithium atoms migrate from the film into the active material, promoting more uniform interphase formation and reducing first-cycle capacity loss.According to experimental results, cells using the new configuration showed about 75 percent less initial capacity loss compared to conventional dry thick electrodes. In full-cell tests using silicon-graphite anodes paired with NCM811 cathodes, the approach improved initial coulombic efficiency and cycle stability.The researchers say this improvement could translate into about a 20% increase in EV driving range. At the same time, the process removes the need for a separate wet-chemical primer coating and drying step, simplifying manufacturing.Hyun-Wook Lee, the first author and researcher at UNIST, explained, “This technique allows us to perform prelithiation and electrode adhesion in a single, efficient process that can be directly integrated into existing roll-to-roll manufacturing.” He added that it works similarly to newspaper presses, enabling large-scale production.Dry process, bigger gainsProfessor Kwak noted, “Dry-electrode coating technology is an area actively pursued by global companies like Tesla.” He added that the developed anode technology is compatible with various cathode materials, including high-nickel cathodes, and offers a competitive advantage in the battery industry.By eliminating the primer and integrating prelithiation into a single dry step, the method supports a fully dry manufacturing line. This could lower production costs while maintaining performance, addressing both economic and technical barriers in scaling thick electrodes.The team’s approach focuses on underlayer lithium-metal configured prelithiation, a strategy designed to enhance ion transport and stabilize the electrode interface without adding complexity. The compatibility with high-nickel chemistries such as NCM811 also aligns with industry efforts to push higher energy densities for EVs.The findings were published online on January 21, 2026, in Energy and Environmental Science.
Energy Density EV Batteries Lithium Metal NCM811 Prelithiation Roll-To-Roll Silicon Graphite Anode
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