Recent Advances and Opportunities in Reactivating Inactive Lithium in Batteries

The loss of active materials is one of the main culprits of the battery failures. As a typical example, the presence of inactive lithium, also known as “dead lithium”, contributes to the rapid capacity deterioration and reduces energy output in lithium batteries. This phenomenon has long been recognized as irreversible. In this Minireview, the first of this kind, we aim to summarize the formation of inactive lithium and reassess its impact on battery performance metrics. Additionally, we explore various strategies that have been devised to rejuvenate inactive lithium. This comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in reactivating inactive lithium not only offers insights into restoring capacity and enhancing battery performance metrics but also provides a foundation for future research in reviving other inactive materials found in next-generation batteries, such as lithium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, other alkali metal batteries, and liquid flow batteries.