Nanocatalysis in Cathode Pre-lithiation for Lithium-ion Battery: Progress and Challenges

Pre-lithiation, which is capable of supplying additional active lithium sources to lithium-ion battery, has been widely accepted as one of the most promising approaches to address the issue of active lithium loss during the entire process of initial charging and subsequent cycling. In comparison to anode pre-lithiation, cathode pre-lithiation exhibits a facile operating procedure and good compatibility with the current lithium-ion battery production processes. However, the cathode pre-lithiation additives suffer from high decomposition voltage and low decomposition efficiency. In view of this, a variety of nanocatalysts have been developed in recent years to enhance the decomposition kinetic of cathode pre-lithiation additives. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of nanocatalysis in cathode pre-lithiation is still lacking. This timely review aims to present the crucial role of nanocatalysis in cathode pre-lithiation and provide an up-to-date overview of this field. After demonstrating the significance of nanocatalyst for cathode pre-lithiation, recent progress in the application of nanocatalysts for high-efficiency cathode pre-lithiation is briefly introduced. Finally, future challenges and directions for the commercialization of cathode pre-lithiation technique in conjunction with nanocatalysts are reviewed. The current review provides important insights into the nanocatalysis as a cutting-edge strategy for favorable cathode pre-lithiation and builds a bridge between academic research and industrial applications of nanocatalytic cathode pre-lithiation for lithium-ion battery with high capacity and good cyclability.