Lithium-metal batteries substitute the graphite anode used in standard lithium-ion cells with lithium metal. This modification, however, presents a significant technical hurdle—the growth of dendrites. These tree-shaped lithium deposits develop on the anode surface during charging and degrade the battery’s performance and stability.
The dendrite effect intensifies during high-speed charging and may lead to internal short-circuits, creating significant challenges for developing rechargeable lithium-metal batteries capable of operating under fast-charging conditions.
The FRL joint research team discovered that the root cause of dendrite formation during rapid charging is a lack of uniform cohesion on the lithium metal surface. To solve this, they developed a "cohesion-inhibiting new liquid electrolyte."
The new liquid electrolyte's unique anion structure has a weak binding affinity to lithium ions, which minimizes the non-uniformity of the lithium interface. This effectively suppresses dendrite growth even during rapid charging.
This technology overcomes the slow charging speed—a major limitation of existing lithium-metal batteries—while maintaining a high energy density. It enables a long driving range and stable operation even under fast-charging conditions.
The four years of collaboration between LG Energy Solution and KAIST through FRL are producing meaningful results. We will continue to strengthen our industry-academia collaboration to solve technical challenges and create the best results in the field of next-generation batteries.
Je-Young Kim, CTO, LG Energy Solution
Hee Tak Kim, Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, noted, “This research has become a key foundation for overcoming the technical challenges of lithium-metal batteries by understanding the interfacial structure. It has overcome the biggest barrier to the introduction of lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles.”
Journal Reference:
Kwon, H., et al. (2025) Covariance of interphasic properties and fast chargeability of energy-dense lithium metal batteries. Nature Energy. doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01838-1