Coassembly of Ultrathin Lithium with Dual Lithium-Free Electrodes for Long-Lasting Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Batteries.

Wang, Hongyi; Ye, Yusheng; Liu, Hao; Li, Qianya; Wang, Ke; Sun, Sisheng; Wu, Feng; Chen, Renjie et al. · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

With the rising demand for long-term grid energy storage, there is an increasing need for sustainable alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Electrode materials composed of earth-abundant elements are appealing, yet their lithiated-state stability hampers direct battery applications. In this paper, we propose for the first time a concept of coassembling ultrathin lithium with both lithium-free cathodes and lithium-free anodes to build high-energy, long-lasting, safe, and low-cost batteries tailored for long-duration energy storage. As a proof-of-concept, we selected sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) as the lithium-free cathode and graphite/silicon-carbon (Gra/SiC) as the lithium-free anode, both of which are earth abundant. This newly conceptualized configuration not only successfully prevents overprelithiation but also exhibits superior energy density (293 Wh kg<sup>-1</sup> and 363 Wh kg<sup>-1</sup>, respectively), excellent cycle stability (1,800 cycles), and benefit of low cost and environmental sustainability. This approach fosters new opportunities for the development of lithium-free, earth-abundant electrode batteries, spurring the development of sustainable and recyclable grid energy storage systems.