Recent developments in high-power Li-ion battery electrode architecture and active materials: The fast-charging challenge

The desire for fast-charging Li-ion batteries is uncontestable and will continue to rise with the interest in electric vehicles. Specifically, the development of batteries that can be charged in minutes would greatly motivate the change from fossil energies to greener electric ones. A cornerstone to this development is an increase in the ionic and electronic conductivity of the electrodes. This review covers recent developments in this area, from microscale approaches that include coating the active particles with electron conductors or alternatively coating the electronic conductor scaffoldings with active particles to mesoscale designs, where optimizing the electrode structure enables shorter ionic and electronic pathways.