Lithium-Nitrogen Battery: Promise and Development Roadmap

Lithium-nitrogen (Li-N₂) batteries offer a unique electrochemical paradigm that combines intrinsically safe energy storage with sustainable N₂ conversion to value-added chemicals. About ten years after the first ground-breaking report, the practical development of Li-N₂ batteries is still restricted by poor reversibility and limited cycling stability. Here, we first introduce this highly innovative and promising Li-N₂ battery technology and then specify the key challenges ahead for the poor reversibility of Li-N₂ batteries from reaction mechanisms, characterization technologies, and the battery configurations. We further highlight a flow field-assisted "flow-type" cell configuration that presents exciting future opportunities to realize reversible Li-N₂ batteries. Besides, we discuss that the diversity in terms of electrolytes, electrode materials, and separators is key to establishing long-term Li-N₂ batteries. The possible mechanistic pathways of N₂ reduction and lithiation over heterogeneous electrocatalysts are also discussed. We recommend a rigorous experimental protocol for evaluating Li-N₂ batteries to ensure reproducibility and reliable performance comparison across studies. Overall, this perspective aims to inspire future generations of researchers to advance both fundamental understanding and practical breakthroughs, thereby engineering a paradigm shift in Li-N₂ chemistry research.