KAIST Captures First Nano-Level View of Lithium Metal Battery Degradation Mechanism
Tags Hardware · Infrastructure
A KAIST research team led by Professor Hong Seung-bum directly observed lithium metal battery degradation at the nanoscale using in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy. They discovered that lithium plating/stripping is not uniform — it occurs selectively at specific locations, and porous/high-slope surface regions create electrically isolated "dead lithium" that causes performance decline. The initial surface morphology of lithium deposition was identified as the critical variable governing long-term battery lifespan. The study was published as a cover article in ACS Energy Letters.
Technical significance
Identifying the root cause of lithium metal battery degradation — site-selective dead lithium formation driven by initial surface morphology — provides a clear design principle for next-generation batteries. If manufacturers can control the surface structure to ensure uniform lithium formation, it could significantly extend EV driving ranges and accelerate commercialization of lithium metal anodes.