Coassembly of Ultrathin Lithium with Dual Lithium-Free Electrodes for Long-Lasting Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Batteries

With the rising demand for long-term grid energy storage, there is an increasing need for sustainable alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Electrode materials composed of earth-abundant elements are appealing, yet their lithiated-state stability hampers direct battery applications. In this paper, we propose for the first time a concept of coassembling ultrathin lithium with both lithium-free cathodes and lithium-free anodes to build high-energy, long-lasting, safe, and low-cost batteries tailored for long-duration energy storage. As a proof-of-concept, we selected sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) as the lithium-free cathode and graphite/silicon–carbon (Gra/SiC) as the lithium-free anode, both of which are earth abundant. This newly conceptualized configuration not only successfully prevents overprelithiation but also exhibits superior energy density (293 Wh kg–1 and 363 Wh kg–1, respectively), excellent cycle stability (1,800 cycles), and benefit of low cost and environmental sustainability. This approach fosters new opportunities for the development of lithium-free, earth-abundant electrode batteries, spurring the development of sustainable and recyclable grid energy storage systems.