Lithium metal anodes promise theoretical capacities of 3860 mAh/g—ten times that of conventional graphite—but face significant challenges in practical implementation. Current designs struggle with dendrite formation during cycling, volumetric expansion exceeding 100%, and rapid capacity fade due to continuous solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation.

The fundamental challenge lies in stabilizing the highly reactive lithium metal surface while maintaining the high ionic conductivity needed for practical charge/discharge rates.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including three-dimensional architectures with conformal protection layers, composite protective films combining ionic and electronic conductivity, and novel surface modification approaches using carbon-based materials. These and other approaches focus on achieving stable cycling while maintaining the high energy density advantage of lithium metal.

1. Negative Electrode with Micron-Scale Particle Protective Layer for Lithium Metal Batteries

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD, 2024

Negative electrode for lithium metal batteries with improved cycle life and reduced volumetric change during charging. The negative electrode has a protective layer on the lithium metal surface with particles sizes between 1-100 microns. The protective layer has a Young's modulus of 106 Pa or greater. This provides mechanical strength to prevent dendrite growth and volumetric expansion during charging. The protective layer also improves lithium deposition density compared to bare lithium metal electrodes.

2. Lithium Metal Composite Electrode with In Situ Grown Conductive Layer and 3D Framework Structure

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited, 2024

Lithium metal composite electrode material for lithium metal batteries with improved cycle stability and reduced dendrite formation compared to conventional lithium metal electrodes. The composite electrode material has a lithium-containing conductive layer grown in situ on the surfaces of lithium metal particles. This layer isolates the lithium metal from the electrolyte to reduce irreversible reactions and dendrite growth. The layer includes an inorganic lithium compound and lithium alloy. The layer serves as a 3D framework structure that coats the lithium metal particles. This framework reduces volume expansion and dendrite formation during cycling. The composite electrode material is prepared by mixing lithium metal, a metal compound, and conductive carbon, then heat treating to grow the in situ layer.

3. Lithium Metal Electrode with Porous Carbon Layer Formed by Gas Desorption for Dendrite and Side Reaction Mitigation

CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED, 2023

A lithium metal negative electrode for lithium-ion batteries that addresses the issues of dendrite formation and interface side reactions. The electrode has a porous carbon layer with pores formed by desorbing adsorbed gas during slurry coating. This creates a 3D pore structure in the carbon layer that prevents dendrite growth and reduces side reactions compared to a smooth carbon layer. The pore structure allows lithium metal to deposit inside the pores instead of on the surface, reducing dendrite formation. The pores also provide a pathway for lithium ion transfer, mitigating side reactions.

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4. Batteries with Lithiated Carbon-Coated Lithium Anodes, Sulfurized Carbon Cathodes, and Graphene Nanoribbon-Modified Separators

WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY, 2023

Batteries with improved safety, cycling stability, and energy density by using lithiated carbon-coated lithium metal anodes, sulfurized carbon cathodes, and graphene nanoribbon (GNR) modified separators. The lithiated carbon coating on lithium metal prevents dendrite formation during charging, the sulfurized carbon cathodes have high capacity and reduced polysulfide shuttle, and the GNR-modified separators prevent sulfur migration.

5. Anode Electrode with 3D Current Collector for Uniform Lithium Metal Deposition

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, 2025

Anode electrode for battery cells that allows uniform thickness deposition of lithium metal without size limitations. The anode electrode is manufactured by forming a lithium metal layer on a substrate, then pressing it into the voids of a 3D anode current collector. This transfers the lithium metal from the substrate to the current collector. The substrate can be a separator, polymer film, or solid electrolyte. Removing the substrate after pressing allows a uniform lithium layer on the current collector. The 3D current collector levels the lithium layer when pressed.

6. Electrolytic Cell with Lithium-Ion Selective Membrane for High-Purity Lithium Metal Anode Fabrication

Pure Lithium Corporation, 2025

Manufacturing a high-purity lithium metal anode for lithium-metal batteries using an electrolytic cell and a blanketing atmosphere free of lithium reactive components. The cell has two chambers separated by a lithium-ion selective membrane. Lithium is electrodeposited on a stationary substrate in the cell using a constant current. This creates a lithium metal anode with a layer bonded to the substrate and membrane. The blanketing prevents impurities. This method provides a pure lithium anode for lithium-metal batteries, overcoming impurity issues.

7. Secondary Battery with Fluoroelastomer-Coated Alkali Metal Anode and Mixed Ether Electrolyte Composition

SYENSQO SA, 2025

Secondary battery with improved performance for lithium metal anodes using a protective layer and electrolyte composition. The battery has a negative electrode with an alkali metal, like lithium, covered by a fluoroelastomer protective layer. The electrolyte contains fluorinated and non-fluorinated ether compounds. This setup reduces side reactions between the lithium and electrolyte, mitigating dendrite growth and improving cycle life. The fluorinated ether compounds provide improved ionic conductivity and safety compared to traditional ether electrolytes. The non-fluorinated ether compounds help optimize solvent properties. The protective layer further reduces contact between lithium and electrolyte to minimize side reactions.

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8. Electrolytes with Nonfluorinated Ether Solvents Featuring Steric Hindrance and Coordination Geometry Modifications for Lithium Metal Batteries

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, 2025

Designing electrolytes for lithium metal batteries that enable stable cycling, high coulombic efficiency, and low dendrite formation. The electrolytes utilize nonfluorinated and nonfully fluorinated ether solvents designed through strategies like steric hindrance tuning and coordination geometry modification. These solvents balance Li+ solvation, electrode stability, and ionic conductivity for improved lithium metal battery performance compared to conventional ether electrolytes.

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9. Electrode with Plate-Like Porous Silica Layer Featuring Cylindrical Pores for Lithium Metal Batteries

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, 2025

Electrode design for lithium metal batteries that suppresses lithium dendrite formation and improves cycle life. The electrode has a silica layer with plate-like porous silica on the current collector. The silica pores have cylindrical shape. This allows uniform lithium deposition and prevents dendrite growth during cycling compared to conventional carbon-based layers. The silica layer also reduces weight/volume vs inert oxide layers.

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10. Layered Anode Structure with Carbon Beads and Low Conductivity Polymers for Dendrite Prevention in Lithium Metal Batteries

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., Seoul National University R&DB Foundation, 2025

Anode design for lithium metal batteries that prevents dendrite formation and improves cycle life. The anode has a layered structure with a host layer of carbon beads, followed by inner layers containing carbon beads and low conductivity polymers. The low conductivity polymer layers surround the carbon beads and restrict lithium diffusion, preventing dendrite growth. The host layer provides electrical contact and allows lithium plating/stripping. The polymer layers promote uniform lithium deposition.

11. Lithium Metal Secondary Battery with Indium-Tin Alloy Interlayer Between Electrolyte and Negative Electrode

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 2025

Lithium metal secondary battery with improved cycle life by using an alloy layer containing indium and tin between the electrolyte and negative electrode. The indium-tin alloy layer prevents peeling of the electrolyte interface during cycling, improving cycle performance compared to bare lithium metal. The battery has a configuration of negative electrode, alloy layer, electrolyte, positive electrode, with the alloy layer containing an indium-tin alloy.

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12. Lithium Metal Battery with Chromium-Containing Anode Electrodeposition Layer

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., 2025

Lithium metal battery with improved stability and cycle life using a special anode electrodeposition layer. The anode has a current collector with a layer of chromium-containing material over it. This induces uniform lithium deposition and prevents dendrite growth compared to plain current collectors. The chromium reduces reactivity with the electrolyte and suppresses side reactions. This improves stability and reduces capacity fade compared to bare current collectors.

13. Lithium Metal Anode Coated with Lithiophilic Metal Alloy Layer

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, 2025

Coating a lithium metal anode (LMA) in lithium ion batteries with a thin layer of a lithium-rich alloy of a lithiophilic metal like zinc, indium, tin, aluminum, silver, or gallium to mitigate lithium dendrite growth, minimize corrosion, and improve wettability. The lithium alloy coating acts as a protective layer to prevent corrosion and enriches the SEI layer with nitrogen-based species to increase lithium ion flux and plating size.

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14. Porous Crosslinked Polymers with High Zeta Potential and Polar Functional Groups

THE PENN STATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, 2025

Porous materials with high zeta potential for use in metal batteries to prevent dendrite formation during metal plating/stripping. The materials have porous structures with polar functional groups that self-concentrate metal ions like lithium. This reduces concentration gradients and enables uniform deposition of dendrite-free metal. The high zeta potential promotes electrokinetic phenomena like surface conduction and electroosmosis that further mitigate dendritic growth. The materials can be crosslinked polymers like branched PEI with polar groups like ether, amine, and urea.

15. All-Solid-State Battery with Composite Sulfide Electrolyte Layer for Lithium Deposition Anode Reaction

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 2025

An all-solid-state battery with simplified structure and improved cycle life for batteries that use a lithium deposition/dissolution anode reaction. The battery has a unique composite solid electrolyte layer made of two different sulfide electrolytes. One sulfide electrolyte has lower reduction resistance, allowing lithium metal to form during charging. This forms a protective layer that prevents further electrolyte decomposition. The other sulfide electrolyte has higher reduction resistance. By combining the two sulfides in specific ratios, it improves cycle performance compared to using just the high resistance electrolyte alone. The simplified structure is achieved by forming the protective layer during initial charging rather than adding an extra layer.

16. Negative Electrode Layer with Lithium Metal Composite for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., 2025

Negative electrode layer for all-solid-state lithium batteries that improves battery performance by preventing lithium metal deformation, internal short circuits, and capacity loss during cycling. The layer contains a lithium metal composite on the negative current collector, where the composite is a mixture of lithium metal and an inorganic negative active material. This composite has higher hardness and elasticity than pure lithium, preventing deformation during pressing and preventing lithium penetration into the solid electrolyte. It also compensates for lithium loss during charging and operation.

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17. All-Solid-State Lithium-Metal Battery with Composite Sulfide Electrolyte Layer Containing Dual Reduction Resistance Electrolytes

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, 2025

All-solid-state battery with simplified structure and improved cycle life for lithium-metal batteries. The battery uses a composite solid electrolyte layer with two types of sulfide solid electrolytes. The first sulfide electrolyte has lower reduction resistance and the second sulfide electrolyte has higher reduction resistance. This configuration allows a protective layer of lithium and metallic elements to form between the current collector and the lower resistance electrolyte during cycling, improving cycle life. The higher resistance electrolyte prevents excessive lithium plating and side reactions. The composite electrolyte layer enables simplified battery structure since a separate initial lithium layer is not needed.

18. Lithium Electrode with Dual-Layer Composite Protective Coating for Dendrite Inhibition

LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD., 2024

Lithium electrode for batteries with a protective layer to prevent dendrite growth in lithium metal anodes. The protective layer is a composite of two layers: a first layer close to the lithium metal with high ion conductivity, and a second layer further from the lithium metal with high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. The first layer allows lithium ions to pass and prevents lithium depletion. The second layer transfers electrons to the lithium surface and prevents localized current density. The composite layer structure inhibits dendrite growth and improves battery performance compared to single-layer coatings.

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19. Composite Interlayer Comprising Lithium Nitrate, Dimethoxyethane, and Trimethyl Phosphate for Lithium Metal Solid-State Batteries

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, 2024

A composite interlayer for lithium metal solid-state batteries to improve cycle life and reduce impedance at the lithium metal/solid electrolyte interface. The interlayer is formed by coating the lithium metal with a mixture of lithium nitrate, dimethoxyethane, and trimethyl phosphate. This coating is applied to the lithium metal for 1-2 hours, then dried to form the interlayer between the lithium metal and solid electrolyte. The interlayer contains an ionic conductor, like lithium nitrate, dispersed in an organic matrix. This composite interlayer suppresses side reactions between lithium metal and the solid electrolyte, reducing impedance, and improves cycle life compared to bare lithium metal.

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20. Composite Electrolytes with Inorganic Solid Electrolyte in Polymer Matrix for Lithium-Ion Batteries

QuantumScape Battery, Inc., 2024

Composite electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries with improved stability against dendrite growth and resistance to cracking when used with high-capacity lithium metal anodes. The composite electrolytes have a high volume fraction of inorganic solid electrolyte embedded in an organic polymer matrix. The inorganic component provides ionic conductivity while the polymer prevents dendrite growth and cracks. The composite electrolytes have fracture strengths between 5-250 MPa. The inorganic material can be a lithium-stuffed garnet oxide or antiperovskite oxide. The organic polymer can be entangled with a surface species on the inorganic particles. The composite electrolytes prevent dendrite formation and cycling at high current densities without cracking compared to pure organic electrolytes.

21. Prismatic Battery Cell with Internal Springs for Accommodating High-Expansion Anode Materials

22. Secondary Battery with Chlorine Ion-Containing Nonaqueous Electrolyte and Lithium Ion Conductive Separator

23. Negative Electrode Plate with Divided Structure and Selective Solid Electrolyte Integration for Lithium Batteries

24. Lithium Metal Battery Anode with Citric Acid Copolymer Protective Film

25. Composite Lithium Metal Anodes with Porous Matrix for Dendrite-Free Deposition and Dimensional Stability

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