Y.Y. Liu, H.D. Shi *, M.Z. Yang, H.D. Wang, Y.X. Ma, X.F. Li, D.K. Jin, C.D. Ma, Z.H. Ren, X.Y. Shi, F. Zhou and Z.-S. Wu *

Advanced Materials, 2025, 37.

DOI: 10.1002/adma.202506584 [PDF]

The exponential growth of electric vehicle industry necessitates to rapidly develop fast-charging technology for lithium-ion batteries. However, the mainstream graphite anode encounters significant challenges in fast-charging scenarios, including capacity decay and shortened lifespan caused by the sluggish lithiation kinetics and unstable solid electrolyte interphase. Herein, we report the kilogram-level scalable production of ultrafast-charging anode (C@MEG) consisting of micro-expanded graphite coated by an ultrathin disordered carbon layer (5 nm), which simultaneously compensates for the conventional limitation of internal lithium diffusion kinetics and reconfigures the external electrode-electrolyte interface. This uniqueness endows rapid surface-to-bulk lithium transport, with minimized electrode polarization, enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior, and reduced interface impedance. At an ultrafast-charging rate of 10 C, our Li||C@MEG cell exhibits an ultrahigh capacity of 157 mAh/g, superior to pristine graphite (71 mAh/g) and previously reported graphite anodes. Moreover, our assembled 1 Ah-level C@MEG||LiCoO2 pouch battery deliveries remarkable fast-charging cyclability, showcasing 92% capacity retention after 1000 cycles under 3 A, together with high power density around 1500 W/kg under 10 A, corresponding to a short charging time of only 4.2 minutes, demonstrative of applicability. This work presents a practical scalable fast-charging anode toward high-energy, high-power and long-life batteries.