# Dongguk University: anode-less thin-film cell with a Sn/C layer reaches 235.13 Wh/L at cycle 100

- Published: 2026-11-05 06:56 UTC
- Section: Power & Energy › Batteries
- Tags: anode-less solid-state battery, thin-film microbattery, Sn/C interlayer, lithium nucleation, LiPON electrolyte, lithium vanadium oxide cathode, volumetric energy density, prelithiation, Dongguk University, dead lithium
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-b5574cd236dced5d2f5cf922_dongguk_university_anode/

**Korean researchers built a laboratory thin-film cell without a pre-installed anode. A tin/carbon layer on copper guides lithium deposition and limits lithium loss.**

![Dongguk University: anode-less thin-film cell with a Sn/C layer reaches 235.13 Wh/L at cycle 100](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/3a79fe326fc13347.jpg)
*Steve Jurvetson from Los Altos, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0*

A research team led by Professor Hyun-Suk Kim at Dongguk University (South Korea) developed an anode-less thin-film battery platform. According to the paper in Advanced Energy Materials, published on August 19, 2026, the optimized full cell reached a volumetric energy density of 235.13 Wh/L at the 100th cycle [1]. The cathode was a 2-µm-thick lithiated vanadium oxide (LVO) film. The work is a laboratory study of thin-film cells. [1]

In an anode-less cell, no lithium anode is installed in advance. Lithium from the cathode deposits on a bare current collector during the first charge and forms the anode in situ, which raises the stack-level volumetric energy density. [1] The weak point is lithium loss through interphase formation, electrically isolated "dead" lithium and loss of contact with the solid electrolyte during stripping. [1]

## Sn/C seed layer

The cell combines an LVO cathode, a lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) solid electrolyte and a modified current collector. The authors screened ultrathin coatings on the collector: carbon only, metal only, and metal/carbon bilayers with Au, Ag, Zn, Al and Sn. [1] The Sn/C bilayer on copper performed best. It gave the lowest lithium nucleation overpotential, reduced voltage hysteresis, better galvanostatic stability and the most uniform lithium plating. [1]

The team reports that the tin layer lowers the energy barrier of nucleation, while the carbon overlayer helps regulate lithium growth. During initial plating, a three-dimensionally textured Sn/Li–Sn region formed in the interlayer. According to the authors, it can accommodate volume and morphological changes in later cycles. [1]

## Prelithiation and results

To reduce first-cycle losses, the researchers added a reversed-structure prelithiation step. A thin metallic lithium layer is deposited on the seeded collector and serves as a lithium reservoir, enabling gradual activation and stable cycling. [1]

The 235.13 Wh/L figure at the 100th cycle was reported at a rate of 0.01 C. The total thickness of the battery is 2.77 µm. [1]

Professor Kim said the approach could support ultrathin batteries for wearable electronics, IoT sensors and medical devices. This is the authors' statement; the study itself reports results for thin-film laboratory cells. [1]

## Sources

1. [Advanced Energy Materials](https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71042)
2. [EurekAlert](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1150151)

---

Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-b5574cd236dced5d2f5cf922_dongguk_university_anode/