Nanocatalysis in cathode pre-lithiation for lithium-ion batteries: progress and challenges

Pre-lithiation, which is capable of supplying additional active lithium sources to lithium-ion batteries, has been widely accepted as one of the most promising approaches for addressing the issue of active lithium loss during the entire process of initial charging and subsequent cycling. In comparison with anode pre-lithiation, cathode pre-lithiation exhibits a facile operating procedure and good compatibility with current lithium-ion battery production processes. However, 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 kinetics 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 nanocatalysts 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 the cathode pre-lithiation technique in conjunction with nanocatalysts are reviewed. The current review provides important insights into 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 batteries with high capacity and good cyclability. This review focuses on nanocatalysis in cathode pre-lithiation, summarizes recent progress in versatile nanocatalysts for efficient pre-lithiation additive decomposition and highlights future challenges and directions for commercialization.