West Lake University Team Revives "Niche" Battery

Researchers at West Lake University in China, led by Wang Jianhui and Liu Lei, have developed a new shuttle coupling electrolyte that addresses the short lifespan of anode-free batteries. For years, these batteries were considered impractical for commercial use.

The team’s electrolyte increases energy density to twice that of common commercial batteries while maintaining low costs. Their findings were recently published in Nature.

The researchers deliberately pursued challenging avenues during their five-year investigation, from experimental design to analytical methods. They focused on anode-free batteries, which use a copper foil current collector instead of a traditional lithium metal anode, simplifying structure and lowering costs. Previous attempts struggled with longevity—cycles were limited to under 200 at low energy densities and under 80 at high densities.

Liu Lei spent nearly six months working in an older lab while the team moved to a new campus, meticulously optimizing test parameters. He discovered the electrolyte forms a roughly 8 nanometer interface film on copper, allowing stable lithium ion flow. The team is now working to scale production of the battery, estimating potential cost savings of 10 to 20 percent over conventional lithium-ion batteries.