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Batteries

Mitigating Polarization Effects in Lithium-Ion Battery Capacitors

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made a breakthrough in mitigating polarization effects in lithium-ion battery capacitors, a key challenge in energy storage technology. By establishing an enhanced cathode conductive network, the researchers were able to improve the electronic and ionic conductivity of the device, resulting in excellent capacity, rate capability, and cycle performance. The study, funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS, has been published in the Journal of Energy Storage.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lithium-ion battery capacitor (LIBC) has attracted attention for bridging the gap between high energy density and high power density in energy storage devices, but its application is hindered by polarization phenomena.
  • An enhanced cathode conductive network was established by optimizing the conductive agent content and introducing conductive additives, which improved the electronic and ionic conductivity of the device.
  • The cathode half-cell with enhanced conductive network showed excellent capacity, rate capability, and cycle performance, with low polarization and nearly 26% smaller voltage differences between the redox peaks compared to a half-cell with only 5% CB as the conductive agent.
  • A full-cell with a pre-lithiated soft carbon anode was assembled, displaying a great device performance of 300.3 Wh kg-1 and 15.7 kW kg-1.
  • After 7500 cycles at 500 mA g-1, the capacity retention of the device can reach 81.1% and the energy efficiency is 92.4%.
  • The study contributes to a better understanding of the polarization phenomenon of LIBCs and has been peer-reviewed.
  • The research was conducted by Xianzhong Sun, Zhang Guo, Yabin An, Chen Li, Yanan Xu, Xiong Zhang, Kai Wang, Yanwei Ma, Zhien Liu, Chihua Lu, and Liping Xie.

Statistics:

  • 91 mV: the voltage differences between the redox peaks of the cathode half-cell with enhanced conductive network in cyclic voltammetry experiments.
  • 26%: the reduction in voltage differences between the redox peaks compared to a half-cell with only 5% CB as the conductive agent.
  • 300.3 Wh kg-1: the device performance of the full-cell with a pre-lithiated soft carbon anode.
  • 15.7 kW kg-1: the power density of the full-cell with a pre-lithiated soft carbon anode.
  • 81.1%: the capacity retention of the device after 7500 cycles at 500 mA g-1.
  • 92.4%: the energy efficiency of the device after 7500 cycles at 500 mA g-1.

Sources:

  • Mitigating Polarization Effects In Lithium-ion Battery Capacitors Through Conductive Network Enhancement. Journal of Energy Storage, 2025;127.
  • Xianzhong Sun, Zhang Guo, Yabin An, Chen Li, Yanan Xu, Xiong Zhang, Kai Wang, Yanwei Ma, Zhien Liu, Chihua Lu, and Liping Xie. (2025). Mitigating Polarization Effects In Lithium-ion Battery Capacitors Through Conductive Network Enhancement. Journal of Energy Storage, 127.
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
  • Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute for Electrical Engineering, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
  • Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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