Y.Y. Liu, S.-H. Kim, S.-Y. Lee * and Z.-S. Wu *

Science Bulletin, 2025, accepted.

With the growing interest in emerging lithium-free cathodes systems such as lithium-sulfur and lithium-air batteries, as well as hybrid energy storage systems, pre-lithiation is poised to become a foundational enabler in the development of the future battery chemistries and next-generation energy storage technologies. Notably, both cathode and anode pre-lithiation techniques are accelerating the advancement of high-energy-density solid-state batteries, particularly those incorporating composite cathodes, lithium-free anodes, and sulfide-based solid electrolytes.