Lithiophilic Chemistry Facilitated Ultrathin Lithium for Scalable Prelithiation

Prelithiation plays a crucial role in advancing the development of high-energy-density batteries, and ultrathin lithium (UTL) has been proven to be a promising anode prelithiation reagent. However, there remains a need to explore an adjustable, efficient, and cost-effective method for manufacturing UTL. In this study, we introduce a method for producing UTL with adjustable thicknesses ranging from 1.5 to 10 μm through blade coating of molten lithium on poly(vinylidene fluoride)-modified copper current collectors. By employing the transfer-printing method, prelithiated graphite and Si-C composite electrodes are prepared, which exhibit significantly improved initial Coulombic efficiencies of 99.60% and 99.32% in half-cells, respectively. Moreover, the energy densities of Li(NiCoMn)1/3O2 and LiFePO4 full cells assembled with the prelithiated graphite electrodes increase by 13.1% and 23.6%, respectively.

Facile Synthesis of Pre-Lithiated LiTiO2 Nanoparticles for Quick Charge and Long Lifespan Anode in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used as an alternative anodic material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its ultrahigh capacity retention and long cycle lifespan. However, the restriction of lithium insertion, intrinsically poor electronic conductivity, and sluggish lithium ionic kinetics of bulk TiO2 hinder their specific capacity and rate performance. Herein, LiTiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized via a facile ball milling method by the reaction of anatase TiO2 with LiH. The as-prepared LiTiO2 NPs have strong structural stability and a "zero strain" effect during the repeated intercalation/deintercalation, even at low potential. As anodic materials for LIBs, LiTiO2 NPs exhibit a superior rate performance of ∼100 mA h g-1 at 10C (3350 mA g-1) with a capacity retention of 100% after 1000 cycles, which is 5 times higher than that of the original commercial anatase TiO2 powder. The higher specific capacity of LiTiO2 NPs is attributed to the increased conversion of Ti3+ to Ti2+ on the porous surface of LiTiO2 NPs, which provides a more capacitive contribution. This study not only provides a new fabrication approach toward Ti-based anodes for ultrafast LIBs but also underscores the potential importance of embedding lithium into transition metal oxides as a strategy for boosting their electrochemical performance.

Interphase Engineering Enhanced Electro-chemical Stability of Prelithiated Anode

Prelithiation is an essential technology to compensate for the initial lithium loss of lithium-ion batteries due to the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and irreversible structure change. However, the prelithiated materials/electrodes become more reactive with air and electrolyte resulting in unwanted side reactions and contaminations, which makes it difficult for the practical application of prelithiation technology. To address this problem, herein, interphase engineering through a simple solution treatment after chemical prelithiation is proposed to protect the prelithiated electrode. The used solutions are carefully selected, and the composition and nanostructure of the as-formed artificial SEIs are revealed by cryogenic electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical evaluation demonstrates the unique merits of this artificial SEI, especially for the fluorinated interphase, which not only enhances the interfacial ion transport but also increases the tolerance of the prelithiated electrode to the air. The treated graphite electrode shows an initial Coulombic efficiency of 129.4%, a high capacity of 170 mAh g-1 at 3 C, and negligible capacity decay after 200 cycles at 1 C. These findings not only provide a facile, universal, and controllable method to construct an artificial SEI but also enlighten the upgrade of battery fabrication and the alternative use of advanced electrolytes.

Effect of the N,S-Codoped Carbon Layer on the Rate Performance of Air-Stable Lithium Iron Oxide Prelithiation Additives

Lithium iron oxide (Li5FeO4, LFO) holds great promise in cathode prelithiation additives for lithium-ion batteries. However, it is hard to make full use of the power under high current rates due to its poor air stability and electronic conductivity. The carbon protective layer is an effective approach, and introducing heteroatoms would be beneficial to further improving Li+ kinetics. However, the interplay between the dopants and Li+ is always ignored. Herein, we aim to reveal the interaction among Li+ ions and the defects of carbon layers from nitrogen/sulfur dopants and the corresponding influence on delithiation performances of LFO. It is found that the codoping of nitrogen and sulfur on carbon layers contributes to the boosted capacity and rate capability. The modified SNC@LFO presents a large irreversible capacity (779.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C) and excellent rate performance (537.1 mAh g-1 at 1 C), which is up to 16.6 and 64.0%, respectively, compared to LFO.

In Situ Prelithiation by Direct Integration of Lithium Mesh into Battery Cells

Silicon (Si)-based anodes are promising for next-generation lithium (Li)-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacity (∼3600 mAh/g). However, they suffer quantities of capacity loss in the first cycle from initial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Here, we present an in situ prelithiation method to directly integrate a Li metal mesh into the cell assembly. A series of Li meshes are designed as prelithiation reagents, which are applied to the Si anode in battery fabrication and spontaneously prelithiate Si with electrolyte addition. Various porosities of Li meshes tune prelithiation amounts to control the degree of prelithiation precisely. Besides, the patterned mesh design enhances the uniformity of prelithiation. With an optimized prelithiation amount, the in situ prelithiated Si-based full cell shows a constant >30% capacity improvement in 150 cycles. This work presents a facile prelithiation approach to improve battery performance.

Prelithiation of Lithium Peroxide for Silicon Anode: Achieving a High Activation Rate

The use of lithium peroxide (Li₂O₂) as a cost-effective low-weight prelithiation cathode additive was successfully demonstrated. Through a series of studies on the chemical stability of Li₂O₂ and the activation process of Li₂O₂ on the cathode, we revealed that Li₂O₂ is more compatible with conventional electrolyte and cathode laminate slurry than lithium oxide. Due to the significantly smaller size of commercial Li₂O₂, it can be used directly as a cathode additive. Moreover, the activation of Li₂O₂ on the cathode leads to the impedance growth of the cathode possibly resulting from the release of dioxygen and evacuation of Li₂O₂ inside the cathode. With the introduction of a new Li₂O₂ spread-coating technique on the cathode, the capacity loss was suppressed. Si||NMC full cells using Li₂O₂ spread-coated cathode demonstrated a highly promising activation rate of Li₂O₂ and significantly enhanced specific capacity and cycling stability compared to the uncoated full cells.

Li2Se as a Cathode Prelithiation Additive for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), active lithium (Li) ions, which function as charge carriers and could only be supplied by the Li-containing cathodes, are also consumed during the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase. Such irreversible Li loss reduces the energy density of LIBs and is highly desired to be compensated by prelithiation additives. Herein, lithium selenide (Li₂Se), which could be irreversibly converted into selenide (Se) at 2.5-3.8 V and thus supplies additional Li, is proposed as a cathode prelithiation additive for LIBs. Compared with previously reported prelithiation reagents (e.g., Li₆CoO₄, Li₂O, and Li₂S), the delithiation of Li₂Se not only delivers a high specific capacity but also avoids gas release and incompatibility with carbonate electrolytes. The electrochemical characterizations show that with the addition of 6 wt % Li₂Se to the LiFePO₄ (LFP) cathodes, a 9% increase in the initial specific capacity in half Li||LFP cells and a 19.8% increase in the energy density (based on the total mass of the two electrodes' materials) could be achieved without sacrificing the other battery performance. This work demonstrates the possibility to use Li₂Se as a high-efficiency prelithiation additive for LIBs and provides a solution to the high-energy LIBs.

In Situ Mesopore Formation in SiOx Nanoparticles by Chemically Reinforced Heterointerface and Use of Chemical Prelithiation for Highly Reversible Lithium-Ion Battery Anode

SiO_x is a promising next-generation anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, its commercial adoption faces challenges such as low electrical conductivity, large volume expansion during cycling, and low initial Coulombic efficiency. Herein, to overcome these limitations, an eco-friendly in situ methodology for synthesizing carbon-containing mesoporous SiO_x nanoparticles wrapped in another carbon layers is developed. The chemical reactions of vinyl-terminated silanes are designed to be confined inside the cationic surfactant-derived emulsion droplets. The polyvinylpyrrolidone-based chemical functionalization of organically modified SiO₂ nanoparticles leads to excellent dispersion stability and allows for intact hybridization with graphene oxide sheets. The formation of a chemically reinforced heterointerface enables the spontaneous generation of mesopores inside the thermally reduced SiO_x nanoparticles. The resulting mesoporous SiO_x -based nanocomposite anodes exhibit superior cycling stability (≈100% after 500 cycles at 0.5 A g^-1 ) and rate capability (554 mAh g^-1 at 2 A g^-1 ), elucidating characteristic synergetic effects in mesoporous SiO_x -based nanocomposite anodes. The practical commercialization potential with a significant enhancement in initial Coulombic efficiency through a chemical prelithiation reaction is also presented. The full cell employing the prelithiated anode demonstrated more than 2 times higher Coulombic efficiency and discharge capacity compared to the full cell with a pristine anode.

High-Energy-Density and Long-Lifetime Lithium-Ion Battery Enabled by a Stabilized Li2O2 Cathode Prelithiation Additive

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) typically suffer from large irreversible capacities caused by active lithium loss during formation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) at the anode side. Cathode prelithiation with preloaded additives has emerged as an effective strategy to solve the above issue. With ultrahigh theoretical capacity, Li₂O₂ serves as an excellent cathode prelithiation additive, whereas poor ambient stability limits its further development. In this study, we report a surface protection strategy to enable ambient processing of the Li₂O₂ additive. Li₂O₂ is well confined in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers (P-Li₂O₂) via electrospinning, which exhibits greatly enhanced ambient stability compared with the unprotected one. Notably, when P-Li₂O₂ is preloaded in LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂ cathodes (NCM-P-Li₂O₂), PMMA nanofibers remain stable during cathode slurry processing but readily dissolve in electrolytes and expose Li₂O₂ for effective electrochemical oxidation. Fabrication of P-Li₂O₂ allows systematic investigation of prelithiation behavior in full cells (NCM-P-Li₂O₂ cathodes paired with Si/Graphite anodes) and its impact on the electrochemical performance. Rational tuning of the prelithiation degree provides guidance for optimizing the amount of the cathode additive, which brings appealing cell lifetime and energy density.

Two Birds with One Stone: Prelithiated Two-Dimensional Nanohybrids as High-Performance Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

As an inexpensive and naturally abundant two-dimensional (2D) material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) exhibits a high Li-ion storage capacity along with a low volume expansion upon lithiation, rendering it an alternative anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the challenge of using MoS₂-based anodes is their intrinsically low electrical conductivity and unsatisfied cycle stability. To address the above issues, we have exploited a wet chemical technique and integrated MoS₂ with highly conductive titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂) MXene to form a 2D nanohybrid. The binary hybrids were then subjected to an n-butyllithium (n-Buli) treatment to induce both MoS₂ deep phase transition and MXene surface functionality modulation simultaneously. We observed a substantial increase in 1T-phase MoS₂ content and a clear suppression of -F-containing functional groups in MXene due to the prelithiation process enabled by the n-Buli treatment. Such an approach not only increases the overall network conductivity but also improves Li-ion diffusion kinetics. As a result, the MoS₂/Ti₃C₂ composite with n-Buli treatment delivered a high Li-ion storage capacity (540 mA h g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1), outstanding cycle stability (up to 300 cycles), and excellent rate capability. This work provides an effective strategy for the structure-property engineering of 2D materials and sheds light on the rational design of high-performance LIBs using 2D-based anode materials.

Practical Implementation of Magnetite-Based Conversion-Type Negative Electrodes via Electrochemical Prelithiation

We report the performance of a conversion-type magnetite-decorated partially reduced graphene oxide (Fe₃O₄@PrGO) negative electrode material in full-cell configuration with LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ (NCA) positive electrodes. To enable practical implementation of the conversion-type negative electrodes in full cells, the beneficial impact of electrochemical prelithiation on mitigating active lithium losses and improving cycle life is shown here for the first time in the literature. The initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of the full cells is improved from 70.8 to 91.2% by prelithiation of the negative electrode to 35% of its specific delithiation capacity. The prelithiation is shown to improve the surface passivation of the Fe₃O₄@PrGO electrodes, leading to less electrolyte reduction on their surface which is prominent from the significantly lowered accumulated Coulombic inefficiency values, lower polarization growth, and doubled capacity retention by the 100th cycle. The reduced surface reactions of the negative electrode by prelithiation also aids in reducing the extent of aging of the NCA positive electrode. Overall, the prelithiation leads to a longer cycle life, where a retained capacity of 60.4% was achieved for the prelithiated cells by the end of long-term cycling, which is 3 times higher than the capacity retention of the non-prelithiated cells. Results reported herein indicate for the first time that the electrochemical prelithiation of the Fe₃O₄@PrGO electrode is a promising approach for making conversion negative electrode materials more applicable in lithium-ion batteries.

Prelithiation Bridges the Gap for Developing Next-Generation Lithium-Ion Batteries/Capacitors

The ever-growing market of portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred extensive research for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with high energy density. High-capacity alloy- and conversion-type anodes are explored to replace the conventional graphite anode. However, one common issue plaguing these anodes is the large initial capacity loss caused by the solid electrolyte interface formation and other irreversible parasitic reactions, which decrease the total energy density and prevent further market integration. Prelithiation becomes indispensable to compensate for the initial capacity loss, enhance the full cell cycling performance, and bridge the gap between laboratory studies and the practical requirements of advanced LIBs. This review summarizes the various emerging anode and cathode prelithiation techniques, the key barriers, and the corresponding strategies for manufacturing-compatible and scalable prelithiation. Furthermore, prelithiation as the primary Li⁺ donor enables the safe assembly of new-configured "beyond LIBs" (e.g., Li-ion/S and Li-ion/O₂ batteries) and high power-density Li-ion capacitors (LICs). The related progress is also summarized. Finally, perspectives are suggested on the future trend of prelithiation techniques to propel the commercialization of advanced LIBs/LICs.

Topology Optimized Prelithiated SiO Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Silicon monoxide (SiO)-based materials have great potential as high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, they suffer from a low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) and poor cycle stability, which prevent their successful implementation into commercial lithium-ion batteries. Despite considerable efforts in recent decades, their low ICE and poor cycle stability cannot be resolved at the same time. Here, it is demonstrated that the topological optimization of the prelithiated SiO materials is highly effective in improving both ICE and capacity retention. Laser-assisted atom probe tomography combined with thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry reveals that two exothermic reactions related to microstructural evolution are key in optimizing the domain size of the Si active phase and Li₂ SiO₃ buffer phase, and their topological arrangements in prelithiated SiO materials. The optimized prelithiated SiO, heat-treated at 650 °C, shows higher capacity retention of 73.4% and lower thickness changes of 68% after 300 cycles than those treated at other temperatures, with high ICE of ≈90% and reversible capacity of 1164 mAh g^-1 . Such excellent electrochemical properties of the prelithiated SiO electrode originate from its optimized topological arrangement of active Si phase and Li₂ SiO₃ inactive buffer phase.

In Situ Synthesis and Dual Functionalization of Nano Silicon Enabled by a Semisolid Lithium Rechargeable Flow Battery

Nanosized silicon has attracted considerable attentions as a new-generation anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its exceptional theoretical capacity and reasonable cyclic stability. However, serious side reactions often take place at the nanosized silicon/electrolyte interface in LIBs, where critical electrochemical properties such as initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) are compromised. On the basis of this feature, a new method is developed to synthesize nanosilicon-based particles in a facile, scalable way, which are endowed with the function of prelithiation and storage stability in air. A semisolid lithium rechargeable flow battery (SSFB) technology is used for the first time to convert the micrometer-sized silicon raw material into an amorphous-nanosilicon-based material (ANSBM), as a result of the pulverization process induced by the repeated lithiation/delithiation cycles. The particle size is successfully reduced from 1-4 μm to around 30 nm after cycles in the flow battery. Bulk functionalization of the nano silicon is introduced by the unbalanced lithiation/delithiation cyclic process, which endows ANSBM with a unique prelithiation capability universally applicable to different anode systems such as nanosized Si, SiO_x, and graphite, as evidenced by the significantly improved ICEs. Superior air stability (10% relative humidity) is exhibited by ANSBM due to surface functionalization by the stable interfacial layer encapsulated by electron-conductive carbon. The outcome of this work provides a promising way to synthesize dual-functionalized nano silicon with good electrochemical performance in terms of improved capacity and increased initial Coulombic efficiency when it is composited with other typical anode materials.

Prelithiation Reagents and Strategies on High Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely employed in energy-storage applications owing to the relatively higher energy density and longer cycling life. However, they still need further improvement especially on the energy density to satisfy the increasing demands on the market. In this respect, the irreversible capacity loss (ICL) in the initial cycle is a critical challenge due to the lithium loss during the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the anode surface. The strategy of prelithiation was then proposed to compensate for the ICL in the anode and recover the energy density. Here, various methods of the prelithiation are summarized and classified according to the basic working mechanism. Further, considering the critical importance and promising progress of prelithiation in both fundamental research and real applications, this Review article is intended to discuss the considerations involved in the selection of prelithiation reagents/strategies and the electrochemical performance in full-cells. Moreover, insights are provided regarding the practical application prospects and the challenges that still need to be addressed.

Focusing on the Subsequent Coulombic Efficiencies of SiOx: Initial High-Temperature Charge after Over-Capacity Prelithiation for High-Efficiency SiOx-Based Full-Cell Battery

SiO_x-based anode materials are considered to be promising and have been gradually commercialized due to their high specific capacity as well as the acceptable volume change during lithiation/delithiation and preferable cycling stability compared to that of Si. Nevertheless, their inherently low Coulombic efficiency hinders the large-scale application. Up to now, researchers have paid much attention to the initial Coulombic efficiency and developed a series of effective prelithiation strategies. However, the subsequent cycles (focusing on the 2nd to 10th), during which the SiO_x anode suffers great lithium consumption as well, have received scarcely any concerns. In this work, a strategy of high-temperature (50 °C) initial charge after an overcapacity prelithiation for a SiO_x-based full-cell battery is proposed. As high temperature can promote the reaction between lithium and the SiO₂ matrix of SiO_x, SiO₂ will experience a one-step thorough reduction rather than gradual conversion in subsequent cycles, improving the subsequent Coulombic efficiencies (SCEs) accordingly. Overcapacity prelithiation can be achieved safely at 50 °C without Li metal depositon, just enough to meet the more initial lithium demand of anode at 50 °C. Furthermore, the initial deeper reduction of SiO₂ will release extra Si, improving the reversible capacity consequently. With the 50 °C initial charge after an overcapacity prelithiation, the full-cell battery exhibits considerable capacity retention as expected. This work raises concerns on SCEs of SiO_x-based anode innovatively, providing a feasible avenue for improving the capacity retention of a SiO_x-based full-cell battery.

A Prelithiation Separator for Compensating the Initial Capacity Loss of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium loss during the initial charge process inevitably reduces the capacity and energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Cathode additives are favored with respect to their controllable prelithiation degree and scalable application; however, the insulating nature of their delithiation products retards electrode reaction kinetics in subsequent cycles. Herein, we propose a prelithiation separator by modifying a commercial separator with a Li₂S/Co nanocomposite to compensate for the initial capacity loss. The Li₂S/Co coating layer extracts active lithium ion during the charge process and shows a delithiation capacity of 993 mA h g^-1. When paired with a LiFePO₄|graphite full cell, the reversible capacity is increased from 112.6 to 150.3 mA h g^-1, leading to a 29.5% boost in the energy density. The as-prepared pouch cell also demonstrates a stable cycling performance. The excellent electrochemical performance and the scalable production of the prelithiation separator reveal its great potential in lithium-ion battery industry application.

Pre-Lithiation Strategies for Next-Generation Practical Lithium-Ion Batteries

Next-generation Li-ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy density adopt some novel anode materials, which generally have the potential to exhibit higher capacity, superior rate performance as well as better cycling durability than conventional graphite anode, while on the other hand always suffer from larger active lithium loss (ALL) in the first several cycles. During the last two decades, various pre-lithiation strategies are developed to mitigate the initial ALL by presetting the extra Li sources to effectively improve the first Coulombic efficiency and thus achieve higher energy density as well as better cyclability. In this progress report, the origin of the huge initial ALL of the anode and its effect on the performance of full cells are first illustrated in theory. Then, various pre-lithiation strategies to resolve these issues are summarized, classified, and compared in detail. Moreover, the research progress of pre-lithiation strategies for the representative electrochemical systems are carefully reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are particularly analyzed and outlooked. This progress report aims to bring up new insights to reassess the significance of pre-lithiation strategies and offer a guideline for the research directions tailored for different applications based on the proposed pre-lithiation strategies summaries and comparisons.

Prelithiation: A Crucial Strategy for Boosting the Practical Application of Next-Generation Lithium Ion Battery

With the urgent market demand for high-energy-density batteries, the alloy-type or conversion-type anodes with high specific capacity have gained increasing attention to replace current low-specific-capacity graphite-based anodes. However, alloy-type and conversion-type anodes have large initial irreversible capacity compared with graphite-based anodes, which consume most of the Li⁺ in the corresponding cathode and severely reduces the energy density of full cells. Therefore, for the practical application of these high-capacity anodes, it is urgent to develop a commercially available prelithiation technique to compensate for their large initial irreversible capacity. At present, various prelithiation methods for compensating the initial irreversible capacity of the anode have been reported, but due to their respective shortcomings, large-scale commercial applications have not yet been achieved. In this review, we have systematically summarized and analyzed the advantages and challenges of various prelithiation methods, providing enlightenment for the further development of each prelithiation strategy toward commercialization and thus facilitating the practical application of high-specific-capacity anodes in the next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.

Controlled Prelithiation of SnO2/C Nanocomposite Anodes for Building Full Lithium-Ion Batteries

SnO₂ is an attractive anodic material for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its low electronic conductivity and large volume change in lithiation/delithiation lead to a poor rate/cycling performance. Moreover, the initial Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) of SnO₂ anodes are usually too low to build practical full LIBs. Herein, a two-step hydrothermal synthesis and pyrolysis method is used to prepare a SnO₂/C nanocomposite, in which aggregated SnO₂ nanosheets and a carbon network are well-interpenetrated with each other. The SnO₂/C nanocomposite exhibits a good rate/cycling performance in half-cell tests but still shows a low initial CE of 45%. To overcome this shortage and realize its application in a full-cell assembly, the SnO₂/C anode is controllably prelithiated by the lithium-biphenyl reagent and then coupled with a LiCoO₂ cathode. The resulting full LIB displays a high capacity of over 98 mAh g^-1_LCO in 300 cycles at 1 C rate.

Fast and Controllable Prelithiation of Hard Carbon Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Hard carbon has been extensively investigated as anode materials for high-energy lithium-ion batteries owing to its high capacity, long cycle life, good rate capability, and low cost of production. However, it suffers from a large irreversible capacity and thus low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), which hinders its commercial use. Here, we developed a fast and controllable prelithiation method based on a chemical reaction using a lithium-containing reagent (1 M lithium biphenylide dissolved in tetrahydrofuran). The prelithiation extent can be easily controlled by tuning the reaction time. An SEI layer is formed during chemical prelithiation, and the ICE of prelithiated hard carbon in half-cell format can be increased to ∼106% in 30 s. When matched with a LiNi_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3O₂ cathode, the full cell with the prelithiated hard carbon anode exhibits a much improved ICE (90.2 vs 75%) and cycling performance than those of the pristine full cell. This facile prelithiation method is proved to be a practical solution for the commercial application of hard carbon materials.

Nanocrystalline Li-Al-Mn-Si Foil as Reversible Li Host: Electronic Percolation and Electrochemical Cycling Stability

When a metallic foil (Li metal or Li_xAl) with initial Li inventory (LiInv) is used as the anode in lithium-ion batteries, its metallurgical damage state in the presence of organic liquid electrolyte and cycling electrochemical potential is of great interest. While Li_xAl foil operates at a voltage that eliminates Li_BCC dendrite, the state-of-health (SOH) of Li_xAl anode can still degrade quickly in full-cell cycling. To analyze the causes, we decompose SOH = SOHe × SOHi × LiInv, where SOHe is SOH of electronic percolation within the anode, SOHi is SOH of Li percolation from cathode to the anode interior, and LiInv is the amount of cyclable lithium in a full cell, all normalized such that 1 means perfectly healthy, and 0 means dead. Any of the three (SOHe, SOHi, LiInv) dropping to zero would mean death of the full cell. Considering the poor performance of pure Al foil due to rapid drop in LiInv, we employed a mechanical prelithiation (MP) method to make LiInv >1 initially. The chemomechanical shock from MP creates an ultrananocrystalline LiAl layer with grain size 10-30 nm on top of unreacted Al. We then monitor SOHe evolution of the anode foil by measuring the in-plane electronic conductance in situ. We find that small additions of Mn or Si into Al induce nanoprecipitates Zener pinning, and the resulting denser grain boundary (GB) network before MP significantly reduces foil porosity after MP, delays gross foil fracture, and improves SOHe in subsequent cycling. Microstructural analysis reveals that the refined grain size of foil before MP relieves stress and reduces the chance of forming electronically isolated dead grain cluster due to cracking and invasion of electrolyte and solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). By maintaining good electronic percolation, binder-free Li_xAlMnSi anode demonstrates an order-of-magnitude more stable SOHe and better electrochemical cycling performance than Li_xAl anode.

High-Performance Lithiated SiOx Anode Obtained by a Controllable and Efficient Prelithiation Strategy

Silicon-based electrodes are promising and appealing for futuristic Li-ion batteries because of their high theoretical specific capacity. However, massive volume change of silicon upon lithiation and delithiation, accompanied by continual formation and destruction of the solid-electrolyte interface (SEI), leads to low Coulombic efficiency. Prelithiation of Si-based anode is regarded as an effective way for compensating for the loss of Li⁺ in the first discharging process. Here, a high-performance lithiated SiO_x anode was prepared by using a controllable, efficient, and novel prelithiation strategy. The lithiation of SiO_x is homogeneous and efficient in bulk due to well-improved Li⁺ diffusion in SiO_x. Moreover, the in situ formed SEI during the process of prelithiation reduces the irreversible capacity loss in the first cycle and thus improves the initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). Half-cells and full cells based on the as-prepared lithiated SiO_x anode prominently increase the ICE from 79 to 89% and 68 to 87%, respectively. It is worth mentioning that the homogeneously lithiated SiO_x anode achieves stable 200 cycles in NCM622//SiO_x coin full cells. These exciting results provide applicable prospects of lithiated SiO_x anode in the next-generation high-energy-density Li-ion batteries.

Using Mixed Salt Electrolytes to Stabilize Silicon Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries via in Situ Formation of Li-M-Si Ternaries (M = Mg, Zn, Al, Ca)

Replacing traditional graphite anode by Si anode can greatly improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. However, the large volume expansion and the formation of highly reactive lithium silicides during charging cause the continuous lithium and electrolyte consumption as well as the fast decay of Si anodes. In this work, by adding 0.1 M M(TFSI)_x (M = Mg, Zn, Al and Ca) as a second salt into the electrolyte, we stabilize the anode chemistry through the in situ formation of Li-M-Si ternary phases during the charging process. First, lithium silicides and magnesium lithium silicides were synthesized as model compounds to investigate the influence of metal doping on the reactivity of lithiated Si. Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we show that Mg doping can dramatically suppress the chemical reactions between the lithium silicide compounds and common electrolyte solvents. New mixed salt electrolytes were prepared containing M(TFSI)_x as a second salt to LiPF₆ and tested in commercially relevant electrodes, which show higher capacity, superior cyclability, and higher Coulombic efficiencies in both half-cell and full-cell configurations (except for Zn) when compared with standard electrolytes. Post-electrochemistry characterizations demonstrate that adding M salts leads to the co-insertion of M cations along with Li into Si during the lithiation process, stabilizing silicon anions by forming more stable Li-M-Si ternaries, which fundamentally changes the traditional Li-Si binary chemistry while minimally affecting silicon electrochemical profiles and theoretical capacities. This study opens a new and simple way to stabilize silicon anodes to enable widespread application of Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Tunable Core-Shell Nanowire Active Material for High Capacity Li-Ion Battery Anodes Comprised of PECVD Deposited aSi on Directly Grown Ge Nanowires

Herein, we report the formation of core@shell nanowires (NWs) comprised of crystalline germanium NW cores with amorphous silicon shells (Ge@aSi) and their performance as a high capacity Li-ion battery anode material. The Ge NWs were synthesized directly from the current collector in a solvent vapor growth (SVG) system and used as hosts for the deposition of the Si shells via a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process utilizing an expanding thermal plasma (ETP) source. The secondary deposition allows for the preparation of Ge@aSi core@shell structures with tunable Ge/Si ratios (2:1 and 1:1) and superior gravimetric and areal capacities, relative to pure Ge. The binder-free anodes exhibited discharge capacities of up to 2066 mAh/g and retained capacities of 1455 mAh/g after 150 cycles (for the 1:1 ratio). The 2:1 ratio showed a minimal ∼5% fade in capacity between the 20th and 150th cycles. Ex situ microscopy revealed a complete restructuring of the active material to an interconnected Si_{1- x}Ge _x morphology due to repeated lithiation and delithiation. In full-cell testing, a prelithiation step counteracted first cycle Li consumption and resulted in a 2-fold improvement to the capacity of the prelithiated cell versus the unconditioned full-cells. Remarkable rate capability was also delivered where capacities of 750 mAh/g were observed at a rate of 10 C.

Chemical Prelithiation of Negative Electrodes in Ambient Air for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

This study reports an ambient-air-tolerant approach for negative electrode prelithiation by using 1 M lithium-biphenyl (Li-Bp)/tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution as the prelithiation reagent. Key to this strategy are the relatively stable nature of 1 M Li-Bp/THF in ambient air and the unique electrochemical behavior of Bp in ether and carbonate solvents. With its low redox potential of 0.41 V vs Li/Li⁺, Li-Bp can prelithiate various active materials with high efficacy. The successful prelithiation of a phosphrous/carbon composite electrode and the notable improvement in its initial Coulombic efficiency (CE) demonstrates the practicality of this strategy.

Hydrothermal-derived carbon as a stabilizing matrix for improved cycling performance of silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion full cells

In this work, silicon/carbon composites are synthesized by forming an amorphous carbon matrix around silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) in a hydrothermal process. The intention of this material design is to combine the beneficial properties of carbon and Si, i.e., an improved specific/volumetric capacity and capacity retention compared to the single materials when applied as a negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This work focuses on the influence of the Si content (up to 20 wt %) on the electrochemical performance, on the morphology and structure of the composite materials, as well as the resilience of the hydrothermal carbon against the volumetric changes of Si, in order to examine the opportunities and limitations of the applied matrix approach. Compared to a physical mixture of Si-NPs and the pure carbon matrix, the synthesized composites show a strong improvement in long-term cycling performance (capacity retention after 103 cycles: ≈55% (20 wt % Si composite) and ≈75% (10 wt % Si composite)), indicating that a homogeneous embedding of Si into the amorphous carbon matrix has a highly beneficial effect. The most promising Si/C composite is also studied in a LIB full cell vs a NMC-111 cathode; such a configuration is very seldom reported in the literature. More specifically, the influence of electrochemical prelithiation on the cycling performance in this full cell set-up is studied and compared to non-prelithiated full cells. While prelithiation is able to remarkably enhance the initial capacity of the full cell by ≈18 mAh g^-1, this effect diminishes with continued cycling and only a slightly enhanced capacity of ≈5 mAh g^-1 is maintained after 150 cycles.

Prelithiation Activates Fe2(MoO4)3 Cathode for Rechargeable Hybrid Mg2+/Li+ Batteries

The development of rechargeable Mg-based batteries with a high energy density is restricted by the high-voltage cathodes and the parasitic side reactions between the battery components and electrolytes operating at relatively high potentials. Here, we develop a hybrid Mg²⁺/Li⁺ cell using a monoclinic or orthorhombic Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ cathode, a Mg anode, and a simple (PhMgCl)₂-AlCl₃ + LiCl electrolyte. Hastelloy-C alloy is proposed as a current collector of high-voltage cathode for the hybrid Mg²⁺/Li⁺ battery within a Swagelok-type cell. The application of the Hastelloy-C alloy current collector breaks the crucial bottleneck of incompatibility between the currently available current collectors and electrolytes. The hybrid cell features a low voltage polarization between the discharge and charge profiles, which is in favor of practical applications. On the other hand, because all Li⁺ ions are supplied by the electrolyte in a hybrid Mg²⁺/Li⁺ battery, a high Li⁺ concentration is required to operate at high capacities for the hybrid battery. We further show the first-hand evidence about the compensation of Li⁺ ions by simply soaking the cathode in the hybrid electrolyte. The prelithiation of Li⁺ ions into monoclinic Fe₂(MoO₄)₃ significantly enhances the cycling stability and reversibility.

Pseudocapacitive Characteristics of Low-Carbon Silicon Oxycarbide for Lithium-Ion Capacitors

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are important energy storage devices. As a material with good mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, low-carbon silicon oxycarbide (LC-SiOC), a kind of silicone oil-derived SiOC, is of interest as an anode material, and we have examined the electrochemical behavior of LC-SiOC in LIB and LIC devices. We found that the lithium storage mechanism in LC-SiOC, prepared by pyrolysis of phenyl-rich silicon oil, depends on an oxygen-driven rather than a carbon-driven mechanism within our experimental scope. An investigation of the electrochemical performance of LC-SiOC in half- and full-cell LIBs revealed that LC-SiOC might not be suitable for full-cell LIBs because it has a lower capacity (238 mAh g^-1) than that of graphite (290 mAh g^-1) in a cutoff voltage range of 0-1 V versus Li/Li⁺, as well as a substantial irreversible capacity. Surprisingly, LC-SiOC acts as a pseudocapacitive material when it is tested in a half-cell configuration within a narrow cutoff voltage range of 0-1 V versus Li/Li⁺. Further investigation of a "hybrid" supercapacitor, also known as an LIC, in which LC-SiOC is coupled with an activated carbon electrode, demonstrated that a power density of 156 000 W kg^-1 could be achieved while maintaining an energy density of 25 Wh kg^-1. In addition, the resulting capacitor had an excellent cycle life, holding ∼90% of its energy density even after 75 000 cycles. Thus, LC-SiOC is a promising active material for LICs in applications such as heavy-duty electric vehicles.

High Performance Lithium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors Employing Fe3O4-Graphene Composite Anode and Activated Carbon Cathode

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are considered as promising energy storage devices to realize excellent electrochemical performance, with high energy-power output. In this work, we employed a simple method to synthesize a composite electrode material consisting of Fe₃O₄ nanocrystallites mechanically anchored among the layers of three-dimensional arrays of graphene (Fe₃O₄-G), which exhibits several advantages compared with other traditional electrode materials, such as high Li storage capacity (820 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1), high electrical conductivity, and improved electrochemical stability. Furthermore, on the basis of the appropriated charge balance between cathode and anode, we successfully fabricated Fe₃O₄-G//activated carbon (AC) soft-packaging LICs with a high energy density of 120.0 Wh kg^-1, an outstanding power density of 45.4 kW kg^-1 (achieved at 60.5 Wh kg^-1), and an excellent capacity retention of up to 94.1% after 1000 cycles and 81.4% after 10 000 cycles. The energy density of the Fe₃O₄-G//AC hybrid device is comparable with Ni-metal hydride batteries, and its capacitive power capability and cycle life is on par with supercapacitors (SCs). Therefore, this lithium-ion hybrid capacitor is expected to bridge the gap between Li-ion battery and SCs and gain bright prospects in next-generation energy storage fields.

Graphene Oxide Involved Air-Controlled Electrospray for Uniform, Fast, Instantly Dry, and Binder-Free Electrode Fabrication

We report a facile air-controlled electrospray method to directly deposit binder-free active materials/graphene oxide (GO) onto current collectors. This method is inspired from an electrospinning process, and possesses all the advantages that electrospinning has such as low cost, easy scaling up, and simultaneous solvent evaporation during the spraying process. Moreover, the spray slurry is only a simple mixture of active materials and GO suspension in water, no binder polymer, organic solvent, and conductive carbon required. In our research, high-capacity Si nanoparticles (Si NP, 70-100 nm) and SiO microparticles (SiO MP, 3-10 μm) were selected to demonstrate the capability of this method to accommodate particles with different sizes. Their mixture with GO was sprayed onto a collector and then thermally annealed in an inert gas to obtain Si NP or SiO MP/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) binder-free electrodes. We are also able to directly deposit fairly large electrode sheets (e.g., 12 × 21 in.) upon the application requirement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the simplest approach to produce Si-related materials/RGO layered structures directly on current collector with controllable area and loading. Si and SiO MP/RGO are evaluated in both half and full lithium cells, showing good electrochemical performance. Prelithiation is also studied and gives a high first cycle Coulombic efficiency. In addition to Si-related materials, other materials with different shapes and sizes (e.g., MoO₃ nanobelts, Sn/carbon nanofibers, and commercial sulfur particles) can also be sprayed. Beyond the preparation of battery electrodes, this approach can also be applied for other types of electrode preparation such as that of a supercapacitor, fuel cell, and solar cell.

Ambient-Air Stable Lithiated Anode for Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries with High Energy Density

An important requirement of battery anodes is the processing step involving the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in the initial cycle, which consumes a significant portion of active lithium ions. This step is more critical in nanostructured anodes with high specific capacity, such as Si and Sn, due to their high surface area and large volume change. Prelithiation presents a viable approach to address such loss. However, the stability of prelithiation reagents is a big issue due to their low potential and high chemical reactivity toward O₂ and moisture. Very limited amount of prelithiation agents survive in ambient air. In this research, we describe the development of a trilayer structure of active material/polymer/lithium anode, which is stable in ambient air (10-30% relative humidity) for a period that is sufficient to manufacture anode materials. The polymer layer protects lithium against O₂ and moisture, and it is stable in coating active materials. The polymer layer is gradually dissolved in the battery electrolyte, and active materials contact with lithium to form lithiated anode. This trilayer-structure not only renders electrodes stable in ambient air but also leads to uniform lithiation. Moreover, the degree of prelithiation could vary from compensating SEI to fully lithiated anode. With this strategy, we have achieved high initial Coulombic efficiency of 99.7% in graphite anodes, and over 100% in silicon nanoparticles anodes. The cycling performance of lithiated anodes is comparable or better than those not lithiated. We also demonstrate a Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/lithiated graphite cell with stable cycling performance. The trilayer structure represents a new prelithiation method to enhance performance of Li-ion batteries.

Explore the Effects of Microstructural Defects on Voltage Fade of Li- and Mn-Rich Cathodes

Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) cathode materials have been considered as promising candidates for energy storage applications due to high energy density. However, these materials suffer from a serious problem of voltage fade. Oxygen loss and the layered-to-spinel phase transition are two major contributors of such voltage fade. In this paper, using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), pair distribution function (PDF), X-ray absorption (XAS) techniques, and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), we studied the effects of micro structural defects, especially the grain boundaries, on the oxygen loss and layered-to-spinel phase transition through prelithiation of a model compound Li₂Ru_0.5Mn_0.5O₃. It is found that the nanosized micro structural defects, especially the large amount of grain boundaries created by the prelithiation can greatly accelerate the oxygen loss and voltage fade. Defects (such as nanosized grain boundaries) and oxygen release form a positive feedback loop, promote each other during cycling, and accelerate the two major voltage fade contributors: the transition metal reduction and layered-to-spinel phase transition. These results clearly demonstrate the important relationships among the oxygen loss, microstructural defects and voltage fade. The importance of maintaining good crystallinity and protecting the surface of LMR material are also suggested.

Prelithiation of Nanostructured Sulfur Cathode by an "On-Sheet" Solid-State Reaction

A novel "on-sheet" solid-state chemical reaction method is designed to fabricate a nanostructured Li₂ S-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) cathode using a semi-sacrificial sulfur-graphene oxide template. The as-fabricated Li₂ S-rGO nanocomposite shows a superior electrochemical performance, e.g., high utilization of Li₂ S active materials (86.3 wt%), long cell life (1000 cycles), and excellent rate ability.

Electrochemically Formed Ultrafine Metal Oxide Nanocatalysts for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries have an extremely high theoretical specific energy density when compared with conventional energy-storage systems. However, practical application of the Li-O2 battery system still faces significant challenges. In this work, we report a new approach for synthesis of ultrafine metal oxide nanocatalysts through an electrochemical prelithiation process. This process reduces the size of NiCo2O4 (NCO) particles from 20-30 nm to a uniformly distributed domain of ∼2 nm and significantly improves their catalytic activity. Structurally, the prelithiated NCO nanowires feature ultrafine NiO/CoO nanoparticles that are highly stable during prolonged cycles in terms of morphology and particle size, thus maintaining an excellent catalytic effect to oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. A Li-O2 battery using this catalyst demonstrated an initial capacity of 29 280 mAh g(-1) and retained a capacity of >1000 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles based on the weight of the NCO active material. Direct in situ transmission electron microscopy observations conclusively revealed the lithiation/delithiation process of as-prepared NCO nanowires and provided in-depth understanding for both catalyst and battery chemistries of transition-metal oxides. This unique electrochemical approach could also be used to form ultrafine nanoparticles of a broad range of materials for catalyst and other applications.

Metallurgically lithiated SiOx anode with high capacity and ambient air compatibility

A common issue plaguing battery anodes is the large consumption of lithium in the initial cycle as a result of the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase followed by gradual loss in subsequent cycles. It presents a need for prelithiation to compensate for the loss. However, anode prelithiation faces the challenge of high chemical reactivity because of the low anode potential. Previous efforts have produced prelithiated Si nanoparticles with dry air stability, which cannot be stabilized under ambient air. Here, we developed a one-pot metallurgical process to synthesize LixSi/Li2O composites by using low-cost SiO or SiO2 as the starting material. The resulting composites consist of homogeneously dispersed LixSi nanodomains embedded in a highly crystalline Li2O matrix, providing the composite excellent stability even in ambient air with 40% relative humidity. The composites are readily mixed with various anode materials to achieve high first cycle Coulombic efficiency (CE) of >100% or serve as an excellent anode material by itself with stable cyclability and consistently high CEs (99.81% at the seventh cycle and ∼99.87% for subsequent cycles). Therefore, LixSi/Li2O composites achieved balanced reactivity and stability, promising a significant boost to lithium ion batteries.

Conductive Polymer Binder-Enabled SiO-SnxCoyCz Anode for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries

A SiOSnCoC composite anode is assembled using a conductive polymer binder for the application in next-generation high energy density lithium-ion batteries. A specific capacity of 700 mAh/g is achieved at a 1C (900 mA/g) rate. A high active material loading anode with an areal capacity of 3.5 mAh/cm(2) is demonstrated by mixing SiOSnCoC with graphite. To compensate for the lithium loss in the first cycle, stabilized lithium metal powder (SLMP) is used for prelithiation; when paired with a commercial cathode, a stable full cell cycling performance with a 86% first cycle efficiency is realized. By achieving these important metrics toward a practical application, this conductive polymer binder/SiOSnCoC anode system presents great promise to enable the next generation of high-energy lithium-ion batteries.

Pomegranate-Structured Conversion-Reaction Cathode with a Built-in Li Source for High-Energy Li-Ion Batteries

Transition metal fluorides (such as FeF3 or CoF2) promise significantly higher theoretical capacities (>571 mAh g(-1)) than the cathode materials currently used in Li-ion batteries. However, their practical application faces major challenges that include poor electrochemical reversibility induced by the repeated bond-breaking and formation and the accompanied volume changes and the difficulty of building an internal Li source within the material so that a full Li-ion cell could be assembled at a discharged state without inducing further technical risk and cost issues. In this work, we effectively addressed these challenges by designing and synthesizing, via an aerosol-spray pyrolysis technique, a pomegranate-structured nanocomposite FeM/LiF/C (M = Co, Ni), in which 2-3 nm carbon-coated FeM nanoparticles (∼10 nm in diameter) and LiF nanoparticles (∼20 nm) are uniformly embedded in a porous carbon sphere matrix (100-1000 nm). This uniquely architectured nanocomposite was made possible by the extremely short pyrolysis time (∼1 s) and carbon coating in a high-temperature furnace, which prevented the overgrowth of FeM and LiF in the primordial droplet that serves as the carbon source. The presence of Ni or Co in FeM/LiF/C effectively suppresses the formation of Fe3C and further reduces the metallic particle size. The pomegranate architecture ensures the intimate contact among FeM, LiF, and C, thus significantly enhancing the conversion-reaction kinetics, while the nanopores inside the pomegranate-like carbon matrix, left by solvent evaporation during the pyrolysis, effectively accommodate the volume change of FeM/LiF during charge/discharge. Thus, the FeM/LiF/C nanocomposite shows a high specific capacity of >300 mAh g(-1) for more than 100 charge/discharge cycles, which is one of the best performances among all of the prelithiated metal fluoride cathodes ever reported. The pomegranate-structured FeM/LiF/C with its built-in Li source provides an inspiration to the practical application of conversion-reaction-type chemistries as next-generation cathode materials for high-energy density Li-ion batteries.

Controlled Prelithiation of Silicon Monoxide for High Performance Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Full Cells

Despite the recent considerable progress, the reversibility and cycle life of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries are yet to be improved further to meet the commercial standards. The current major industry, instead, adopts silicon monoxide (SiOx, x ≈ 1), as this phase can accommodate the volume change of embedded Si nanodomains via the silicon oxide matrix. However, the poor Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) in the early period of cycling limit the content of SiOx, usually below 10 wt % in a composite electrode with graphite. Here, we introduce a scalable but delicate prelithiation scheme based on electrical shorting with lithium metal foil. The accurate shorting time and voltage monitoring allow a fine-tuning on the degree of prelithiation without lithium plating, to a level that the CEs in the first three cycles reach 94.9%, 95.7%, and 97.2%. The excellent reversibility enables robust full-cell operations in pairing with an emerging nickel-rich layered cathode, Li[Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05]O2, even at a commercial level of initial areal capacity of 2.4 mAh cm(-2), leading to a full cell energy density 1.5-times as high as that of graphite-LiCoO2 counterpart in terms of the active material weight.

Prelithiation Activates Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 for High Capacity and Excellent Cycling Stability

Transition metal oxide materials Li(NixMnyCoz)O2 (NMC) based on layered structures are expected to replace LiFePO4 in automotive Li-ion batteries because of their higher specific capacity and operating potential. However, the actual usable capacity is much lower than the promised theoretical value [Uchaker, E.; Cao, G. Nano Today 2014, 9, 499-524; Tarascon, J.-M.; Armand, M. Nature 2001, 414, 359-367], in addition to the often poor cycling performance and the first-cycle Coulombic efficiency, for which Mn(II)-dissolution, its immobilization in solid electrolyte interface (SEI), oxidation of electrolytes by Ni, and other parasitic process thereat have been held responsible [Zhan, C., et al. Nat. Commun. 2013, 4, 2437; Wang, L., et al. J. Solid State Electrochem. 2009, 13, 1157-1164; Lin, F., et al. Nat. Commun. 2014, 5, 4529]. Previously, we reported a composite Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 (NMC532) depolarized by the embedded carbon nanotube (CNT) and achieved capacity close to the theoretical limit [Wu, Z., et al. Nano. Lett. 2014, 14, 4700-4706]; unfortunately, this high capacity failed to be maintained in long-term cycling due to the degrading contacts between the active ingredient and CNT network. On the basis of that NMC532/CNT composite, the present work proposes a unique "prelithiation process", which brought the cathode to low potentials before regular cycling and led to an interphase that is normally formed only on anode surfaces. The complete coverage of cathode surface by this ∼40 nm thick interphase effectively prevented Mn(II) dissolution and minimized the side reactions of Ni, Co, and Mn at the NMC interface during the subsequent cycling process. More importantly, such a "prelithiation" process activated a structure containing two Li layers near the surface of NMC532 particles, as verified by XRD and first principle calculation. Hence, a new cathode material of both high capacity with depolarized structure and excellent cycling performance was generated. This new structure can be incorporated in essentially all the NMC-based layered cathode materials, providing us with an effective tool to tailor-design future new cathode materials for lithium batteries.