Structured Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries and their Impact on Cell Energy Density and Power Density: A Review

In various applications, including modern electric vehicles, the demand for batteries with high gravimetric and volumetric energy density is growing, driving the need for new production concepts to meet this requirement. Enhancing the energy and power density of lithium-ion batteries is a crucial goal, as it refers to how much energy can be stored in a given volume or mass and how quickly that energy can be delivered, which are key factors determining the performance of batteries. In pursuit of higher energy density and fast-charging capability, recent attention has been drawn toward strategies that emphasize optimizing the characteristics of composite electrode structures, such as porosity, conductivity, or tortuosity, achieved through restructuring the matrix composition of lithium-ion battery electrode films. This review highlights the importance of structuring, explores recent advances in electrode design, and critically evaluates them in terms of energy and power density using a computational tool (Ragone calculator). Employing the Ragone calculator enables the evaluation of electrodes with different designs on the cell level. Various electrode designs created using different techniques, including laser, multilayer structuring, and interdigitated approaches are evaluated. The insights from this review can help the reader to assess the actual improvements from the structuring technique.