Opportunities and Challenges for Next-Generation Thick Cathodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Advancements in structural engineering are expected to enhance the wide-range commercial application of lithium-ion batteries by enabling the implementation of thicker cathode materials. Increasing the thickness of these cathodes can yield significant increasements in gravimetric energy density while concurrently lowering manufacturing costs. These improvements are pivotal to the successful commercial deployment of sustainable transport systems. However, several substantial barriers persist in the adoption of such microstructures, including performance degradation, manufacturing complexities, and scalability concerns, all of which remain open areas of investigation. This review delves into the obstacles associated with current modifying techniques in thick cathodes and explores the potential opportunities to develop more robust and thicker cathodes, while ensuring long-term performance and scalability. Finally, we provide suggestions on the future directions of thick cathodes to promote their large-scale application.