Following their groundbreaking study in inorganic perovskite tandem photovoltaics published in Nature in 2024, Professor Yan Keyou's research team at SCUT has achieved a major advancement in high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. Their research outcome has been published in the world's leading science journal Nature under the title 'Li₂ZrF₆-Based Electrolytes for Durable Lithium Metal Batteries'.

Lithium metal batteries are widely regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next￾generation energy storage systems. However, the conventional carbonate-based electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries remain fundamentally incompatible with lithium metal batteries. Consequently, constructing an ideal solid electrolyte interphase at the lithium metal anode interface has consistently represented a critical challenge in this field of research.

To address this challenge, SCUT researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of using t-Li₂ZrF₆ crystals to construct an optimal solid electrolyte interphase. They proposed using an electric field to drive the phase transition from m-Li₂ZrF₆ to t-Li₂ZrF₆ for solid electrolyte interphase formation. Experimental results show that this approach not only leverages t-Li₂ZrF₆'s superior electron-insulating properties to prevent electron-induced breakdown of the solid electrolyte interface, thereby suppressing electrolyte decomposition, but also facilitates rapid Li⁺ ion transport and thereby significantly enhances the rate capability of lithium metal batteries.