Domestic researchers have opened a path to overcoming the limitations of 'lithium metal batteries,' which have been identified as the biggest challenge in commercializing next-generation electric vehicle batteries.
Professor Kim Hee-tak of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and researchers from LG Energy Solution, who are jointly conducting research at the Frontier Research Lab (FRL), announced on the 4th that they have developed a core technology that can dramatically enhance the performance of lithium metal batteries. The research findings were published in the international journal 'Nature Energy' on the 3rd.
Lithium metal batteries are those that replace the graphite anode, which is one of the key materials in lithium-ion batteries, with lithium metal. However, the performance and stability of the battery had limitations due to 'dendrites,' which are tree-like lithium crystals that form on the anode surface during battery charging. In particular, the dendrite phenomenon became more severe during rapid charging, making it more difficult to implement lithium metal batteries that can be recharged under rapid charging conditions.
In this study, the researchers revealed that the interfacial aggregation reaction occurs unevenly on the lithium metal surface during rapid charging, leading to the formation of dendrites, and developed an electrolyte that can solve this problem.
The developed electrolyte minimizes the inhomogeneity of the lithium metal surface by utilizing a structure that has weak bonding strength with lithium ions, effectively suppressing dendrite growth even during rapid charging.
While existing lithium-ion batteries were limited to a maximum driving range of 600 km, the new battery equipped with the electrolyte can achieve 800 km on a single charge, over 300,000 km cumulative lifespan, and ultra-fast charging in 12 minutes.
Professor Kim Hee-tak noted, "This research has become a key foundation for overcoming the technical challenges of lithium metal batteries through an understanding of interfacial structure," adding, "We have surpassed the biggest barrier to the introduction of lithium metal batteries in electric vehicles."
Kim Je-young, chief technology officer (CTO) of LG Energy Solution, stated, "The meaningful results from the collaboration over the past four years between LG Energy Solution and KAIST through FRL are noteworthy," and emphasized, "We will continue to strengthen industry-academia collaboration to solve technical challenges and create the best achievements in the next-generation battery field."
References
Nature Energy(2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01838-1