A Lithium Dendrite Inhibitor in Graphite Anodes Enabling Fast‐Charging and Low‐Temperature Lithium‐Ion Pouch Cells

Abstract Under harsh conditions, such as high‐rate and low‐temperature charging, part of Li ions cannot intercalate into the graphite (Gr) particles and will form dendrite‐like Li plating, causing capacity fading and serious safety hazards in commercial lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, instead of eliminating the Li plating, a Li plating regulation strategy that transforms dead Li plating into reversible active Li plating is proposed by using a lithium dendrite inhibitor to realize safe and long‐lifespan LIBs. Remarkably, only 1 wt.% single‐atom manganese (SAMn) in the Gr anode (Gr‐SAMn) is sufficient to achieve a significant improvement, thus both the volumetric and mass‐energy density remain roughly unaffected. The amount of dead Li on the Gr anode can be reduced by 90%, thereby enabling much‐improved pouch cell performance at high rates and low temperatures. The capacity retention of the Gr‐SAMn||NCM811 pouch cell is 86.2% (23.0% higher than that of the pristine Gr||NCM811 pouch) for 1500 cycles at 2 C, and the cell can even be cycled at 5C charge. Even cycling at −20 °C, the average coulombic efficiency (CE) can be improved from 97.95% to 99.94% by using SAMn additive. Hence, this promising strategy provides a novel alternative to solve the Li plating issue.