A collaborative research effort between Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has shed light on a critical aging factor in lithium-metal batteries. The team has experimentally confirmed a phenomenon previously only suspected by the scientific community: the loss of active lithium to the battery's copper current collector.
The Mechanism of Capacity Loss
According to the findings, lithium ions do not just move between electrodes; they actually deposit within the copper current collector during operation. This unintended deposition effectively removes lithium from the electrochemical cycle, leading to a gradual reduction in the battery's overall capacity and performance.
This discovery provides a more precise understanding of why lithium-metal batteries—often touted as the next generation of high-density energy storage—suffer from degradation. By identifying the copper current collector as a site for lithium loss, researchers can now focus on developing new materials or surface treatments to prevent this interaction, potentially extending the lifespan of future electric vehicle batteries.
