Researchers at Zhejiang University of Technology in China and Argonne National Laboratory in the U.S. have devised a strategy to restore inactive lithium in Li metal anodes, Tech Xplore reports. This strategy, outlined in a paper published in Nature Energy, is based on a chemical reaction known as iodine redox. “A fundamental solution for recovering dead lithium is urgently needed to stabilize lithium metal batteries,” the researchers wrote. “We quantify the SEI (solid-electrolyte interphase) components and determine their relation with the formation of electrically isolated dead lithium metal.” The researchers were able to create a full battery cell with very little lithium in the anode. This cell had a remarkable lifespan of 1,000 cycles and achieved a high Coloumbic efficiency of 99.9%.
https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-strategy-rejuvenate-dead-lithium-batteries.html