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Understanding the degradation complexity of ultrahigh-energy lithium metal batteries

Nature Reviews Chemistry (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

The combination of Li-rich layered oxide cathodes and lithium metal anodes enables lithium metal batteries (LMBs) to achieve specific energies exceeding 600 Wh kg−1, which is a crucial threshold requiring the activation of anionic oxygen-redox of cathode. The specific energy is attained owing to oxygen-redox reactions at the cathode and reversible Li plating–stripping at the anode, but these processes also induce distinct failure mechanisms. Structural destabilization at the cathode and anodic dendrite growth cause cell-level failures that impact the lifespan of LMBs more profoundly than material degradation alone. Moreover, the presence of lithium metal anodes obscures the detection of active Li loss, often leading to misinterpretations related to capacity fading and cycle life. This Review examines the progress in realizing 600 Wh kg−1 LMBs and understanding their lifespan failure mechanisms. We discuss the challenges in accurately assessing the lifespan and Li loss pathways of LMBs, and we elucidate the fundamental chemistry mechanisms driving both material-level and cell-level failures. In particular, the electrochemical implications of cell parameters, cell assembly and operating conditions on the lifespan are highlighted. We also outline the gaps in knowledge and advanced techniques required to decipher detailed failure modes for LMBs with oxygen-redox reactions and Li plating–stripping.

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Fig. 1: Research status of Ah-level LMBs.
Fig. 2: Lifespan failure stages of LMBs.
Fig. 3: Material-level degradation aspects (labelled 1–14) and corresponding cell-level impacts (labelled A–N) of the lifespan failure of lithium metal batteries.
Fig. 4: The electrochemical implications of cell parameters on lifespan failure of LMBs.
Fig. 5: Knowledge gaps and advanced characterization techniques required to elucidate the detailed failure pathways of lithium metal batteries with specific energies beyond 600 Wh kg−1.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22479158, 52272253, 52472266), the External Cooperation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. 181GJHZ2024126MI), the R&D Project of Jiangsu Province (BKBG2024021), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2024A1515011548), Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (KJZD20240903100707011 and JCYJ20240813155846060), the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo (2024QL041), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022299). Y.S.M. acknowledges the support from the University of Chicago international programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Deng  (邓伟), Bao Qiu  (邱报) & Zhaoping Liu  (刘兆平)

  2. Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Deng  (邓伟) & Yongbing Tang  (唐永炳)

  3. Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China

    Jiahang Chen & Zhen Li

  4. Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ying Shirley Meng

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Contributions

W.D., B.Q., Y.T., Z.L. and Y.S.M. contemplated the topic and structure of this Review. W.D., B.Q. and Y.S.M. contributed to the writing and editing of all sections of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the discussion of content and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bao Qiu  (邱报), Yongbing Tang  (唐永炳), Zhaoping Liu  (刘兆平) or Ying Shirley Meng.

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Deng, W., Qiu, B., Chen, J. et al. Understanding the degradation complexity of ultrahigh-energy lithium metal batteries. Nat Rev Chem (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-026-00801-2

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