Synergistic Improvement of Rate Capability and Lifespan for Lithium‐Ion Batteries via Low‐Tortuosity Graphite Anode

Abstract Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in large‐scale energy storage. Graphite anodes are pivotal for commercial LIBs, yet lithium plating remains a critical bottleneck, especially in thick electrodes (≥3 mAh cm −2 ). Due to lithium plating, there is a trade‐off between rate capability and lifespan, making it challenging to improve both simultaneously. Here, a low‐tortuosity graphite anode (Gr‐LT) is proposed to address this challenge. The vertically aligned channels in the Gr‐LT electrode reduce the tortuosity from 3.82 (conventional Gr‐HT) to 1.67, effectively mitigating concentration polarization and lithium plating. Quantitative analysis reveals a 91% reduction in plated lithium content for Gr‐LT electrode after 600 cycles. When paired with a LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 O 2 cathode, the Gr‐LT full cell achieves unprecedented cyclability: 77.6% retention after 5500 cycles at 2C, far surpassing Gr‐HT counterparts. This work demonstrates that the architectural optimization of graphite electrodes is an effective strategy for unlocking long lifespan LIBs with higher rate capability for sustainable energy storage.