Enhancing fast-charging capability of graphite anodes via liquid injection structuring: The impact of hole distance and mass loading

Material loss during laser ablation structuring remains a major obstacle to the industrial implementation of structured electrodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), despite the associated performance improvements. Liquid injection structuring represents a material-conserving alternative and is particularly suitable for very thick electrodes (>150 μm). However, the relationship between electrode architecture and electrochemical performance is still insufficiently understood, especially with respect to the interplay between ion transport and local lithiation dynamics. In this work, we systematically investigate structured graphite anodes with varying hole distances and mass loadings to assess their fast-charging capability in high-energy, balanced, and high-power electrode designs. Mechanical stability, ion diffusion, and charge transport are evaluated by electrochemical testing and post-mortem analysis. The results demonstrate that reduced hole distances (<855 μm) significantly enhance the rate capability of graphite anodes with high areal capacities (≥4.3 mAh cm −2 ), particularly at charge rates above 1 C. Furthermore, enhanced salt ion diffusion within the electrode coating improves cycle stability by up to 26 %. These findings highlight liquid injection structuring as a promising strategy to simultaneously improve fast-charging performance and lifetime of LIBs. • Liquid-injection structuring enables material-loss-free macro-porosity. • LI structuring effects depend strongly on hole distance and mass loading. • Design rules enable estimation of optimal hole distances for scaling. • Structuring enables a trade-off between high-energy and high-power electrodes.