# POSTECH develops anode protective layer for lithium-sulfur cells; 80.4% capacity kept after 500 cycles

- Published: 2026-11-05 07:34 UTC
- Section: Power & Energy › Batteries
- Tags: lithium-sulfur battery, lithium anode protective layer, shuttle effect, polysulfides, β-PVDF, corona poling, fluorinated boron nitride, pouch cell, POSTECH
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-917181c3c4ffeb1924a261b3_postech_develops_anode/

**POSTECH tested a β-PVDF coating on the lithium anode of lithium-sulfur cells in the lab: a full cell kept 80.4% of capacity after 500+ cycles; pouch cells were also tested.**

![POSTECH develops anode protective layer for lithium-sulfur cells; 80.4% capacity kept after 500 cycles](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/4fa0211a63f5d507.jpg)
*RudolfSimon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0*

POSTECH reported on 5 November the development of a protective layer for the lithium anode of lithium-sulfur batteries that reduces several causes of capacity loss at once, yna.co.kr writes. [1] The team of Professor Lee Sang-min worked together with a researcher of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute.

Lithium-sulfur cells use sulfur in the cathode and lithium metal in the anode. The problem is lithium polysulfides (LiPSs): they dissolve in the electrolyte and shuttle between the electrodes. Meanwhile the lithium surface becomes porous and cell life falls sharply; with less electrolyte the damage grows. [1]

The team coated the lithium with the ferroelectric polymer β-PVDF and aligned the dipoles in the film with corona poling, a high-voltage process. Fluorinated boron nitride (FBN) was added to keep the alignment stable. According to the team, the resulting field pushes lithium ions forward and blocks polysulfides, and β-PVDF adheres poorly to them, so the layer keeps its performance in long use. [1]

A full cell kept 80.4% of its initial capacity after more than 500 charge–discharge cycles. Pouch cells, close to the commercial format, were also tested, and the authors report that the layer works there too, including at low electrolyte amount and high sulfur content. [1]

## Sources

1. [yna.co.kr](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261105069000053)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-917181c3c4ffeb1924a261b3_postech_develops_anode/