Photoassisted Rechargeable Lithium-Based Batteries: Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives

Rechargeable lithium-based batteries are indispensable in addressing the ever-growing demand for energy storage, owing to their exceptional ability to integrate intermittent renewable energy sources seamlessly into smart grids and electric vehicles. To enhance the electrochemical performance of the batteries, the introduction of light to facilitate electrochemical charge/discharge processes has emerged as a promising approach, demonstrating notable advantages in terms of kinetics and energy efficiency. This review focuses on the latest advances of photoassisted lithium-based batteries, including electrocatalytic-type batteries (such as Li–O₂, Li–CO₂, and Li–S) and intercalation-type lithium-ion batteries. The working principles, challenges, and perspectives of photoassisted lithium-based batteries are highlighted, providing routes for achieving high-performance energy storage technology.