As demand grows for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and long-endurance drones, the energy limits of conventional lithium-ion batteries have become a pressing bottleneck. Most commercial cells still use graphite anodes, and their practical energy density is approaching a ceiling of roughly 350 Wh/kg—too low for many extended missions in the emerging low-altitude economy.

A possible path beyond this limit has now been reported by a team from Tianmushan Laboratory and Tsinghua University. In a paper published in Nature Communications, the researchers describe lithium metal pouch cells that achieve energy densities at the 600 Wh/kg level. Lithium metal anodes are attractive because they offer far higher capacity than graphite, but they have long been hampered by safety and durability problems. Under high-voltage conditions, electrolyte decomposition and the growth of lithium dendrites can shorten cycle life and increase the chance of failure.

To address these issues, the team developed a new electrolyte additive built around an additive-strong coordination solvation structure. The additive promotes the formation of a thin, dense protective layer on the cathode surface, reducing degradation during high-voltage cycling. At the same time, it stabilizes the interface on the lithium metal anode, which helps suppress dendrite growth, improves lithium-ion transport, and lowers safety risks.

In tests, 10 Ah pouch cells using high-nickel ternary cathodes recorded an energy density of 550.7 Wh/kg and retained 80% of their capacity after 180 cycles. When the researchers paired the system with lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, reversible specific energy climbed to 602.5 Wh/kg—more than 50% higher than that of today’s mainstream power batteries.

The authors caution, however, that this work remains at the laboratory stage. Further development will be needed before the technology can be considered for large-scale commercial application.

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