Anode-free lithium-metal battery boosts energy density

Researchers at KAIST, Kyungpook National University and the National NanoFab Center have developed an anode-free lithium-metal battery that uses microscopic tube structures on a copper current collector plus an ultra-thin MXene coating. The design quadruples the lithium deposition area and suppresses dendrite growth, potentially enabling lighter, higher-capacity EV batteries.

• Microtubes 300 nm wide and 150 nm tall were made via secondary sputtering lithography
• Lithium deposition surface area is about four times that of flat copper
• An ultra-thin MXene coating limits electrolyte reactions and dendrite growth
• Findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials on 1 September 2026