Progress and challenges of prelithiation technology for lithium‐ion battery

Prelithiation technology is widely considered a feasible route to raise the energy density and elongate the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries. The principle of prelithiation is to introduce extra active Li ions in the battery so that the lithium loss during the first charge and long-term cycling can be compensated. Such an effect does not need to change the major electrode material or battery structure and is compatible with the majority of current lithium-ion battery production lines. At this stage, various prelithiation methods have been reported, some of which are already in the pilot-scale production stage. But there is still no definitive development roadmap for prelithiation. In this review, we first introduce the influence of prelithiation on electrochemical performance from a theoretical point of view and then compare the pros and cons of different prelithiation methods in different battery manufacturing stages. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future development trends of prelithiation. We aim to build up a bridge between academic research and industrial application. Some engineering problems in the promotion of prelithiation technique are extensively discussed, including not only the implementation of prelithiation but also some collateral issues on battery designing and management.