Thick Electrode Batteries: Principles, Opportunities, and Challenges

TLDR

Portable electronics and electric‑vehicle markets drive lithium‑battery research toward higher energy densities, and thick‑electrode designs can increase active‑material loading by reducing inactive components, though they face challenges such as sluggish charge kinetics and mechanical instability. This review seeks to summarize recent advances in fabricating thick electrodes that improve energy density, stability, and durability. It emphasizes low‑tortuosity structural designs for rapid charge transport and integrated cell configurations, and examines advanced thick‑electrode concepts for lithium‑metal, solid‑state, and lithium‑air chemistries. The authors propose future research directions for thick‑electrode battery development.

Abstract

Abstract The ever‐growing portable electronics and electric vehicle markets heavily influence the technological revolution of lithium batteries (LBs) toward higher energy densities for longer standby times or driving range. Thick electrode designs can substantially improve the electrode active material loading by minimizing the inactive component ratio at the device level, providing a great platform for enhancing the overall energy density of LBs. However, extensive efforts are still needed to address the challenges that accompany the increase in electrode thickness, not limited to sluggish charge kinetics and electrode mechanical instability. In this review, the principles and the recent developments in the fabrication of thick electrodes that focus on low‐tortuosity structural designs for rapid charge transport and integrated cell configuration for improved energy density, cell stability, and durability are summarized. Advanced thick electrode designs for application in emerging battery chemistries such as lithium metal electrodes, solid state electrolytes, and lithium–air batteries are also discussed with a perspective on their future opportunities and challenges. Finally, suggestions on the future directions of thick electrode battery development and research are suggested.