Dowstone, UESTC team up on R&D of ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes for solid-state batteries

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese lithium battery materials developer Guangdong Dowstone Technology Co., Ltd. ("Dowstone") recently signed a Project Technology Development Contract with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ("UESTC") to jointly develop ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes, according to a post on Dowstone's WeChat account.

Dowstone's solid-state battery R&D institute; photo credit: Dowstone

The collaboration will focus on the development of single-sided and double-sided lithium-coated copper anodes, as well as self-supporting ultra-thin lithium anode foils. The partnership spans three years, running from December 2, 2024, to December 1, 2027.

In the realm of solid-state battery, while solid electrolytes are key materials, enhancing the performance of anode and cathode materials is equally critical. Metallic lithium is regarded as the ideal anode material for all-solid-state batteries, yet commercial adoption faces challenges such as the difficulty of mass-producing ultra-thin lithium anodes with an active layer thickness below 20μm and high manufacturing costs. This collaboration aims to address these hurdles and pave the way for the commercialization of ultra-thin lithium anodes in high-energy-density and high-safety lithium-ion and solid-state batteries.

The project will be led by Professor Li Jingze from UESTC, supported by a team with extensive experience and technical expertise. The team will employ techniques such as utilizing interactions between molten metallic lithium and metal current collectors to enhance wetting properties, enabling the preparation of ultra-thin lithium anodes through molten-liquid casting. Furthermore, in-situ alloying reactions between lithium and the metal current collector will create micro-nano alloy network structures that serve as a three-dimensional framework. This approach addresses the drawbacks of conventional pure lithium anodes, including significant volume changes and lack of nucleation control, effectively suppressing lithium dendrite growth, prolonging anode cycle life, and significantly improving electrochemical performance and safety. These advancements are expected to accelerate the commercialization of the reused solid-state lithium batteries.

Dowstone plans to integrate its existing expertise in materials essential for solid-state batteries—such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, high-nickel ternary precursors, sulfide electrolytes, lithium-rich manganese precursors, and silicon-based anodes—into this project to expedite the industrialization of research results.