In real life, phenomena such as thermal expansion and contraction, and the gradual aging of batteries with repeated charging and discharging are well known to all. However, the unknowns hidden within the known always attract the attention and exploration of scientists.
Recently, a Chinese research team, through continuous exploration and in collaboration with domestic and foreign partners, discovered that the next-generation lithium-rich manganese-based cathode material for lithium batteries "shrinks" when heated. This can help restore the voltage of aged batteries, achieving a "rejuvenation" of the batteries. This finding provides a brand-new approach for the development of smarter and more durable next-generation lithium batteries.
Through in-depth analysis, the research team has revealed the intrinsic connection between the thermal shrinkage characteristics of lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials and the working mechanism of batteries, and proposed an innovative method to restore the performance of aged batteries by taking advantage of this characteristic. This research achievement not only provides a scientific basis for the further development of high-energy-density battery technology, but also is expected to change the design and usage of batteries in the future.
On the night of April 16th, Beijing time, this breakthrough in the field of lithium battery materials was jointly accomplished by the research team of the Power Lithium Battery Engineering Laboratory of the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Ningbo Materials Institute), and their foreign counterparts from the University of Chicago and other institutions. The related research results were published online in the international academic journal Nature under the title "Oxygen activity and negative thermal expansion in battery materials".
The reviewers of the journal Nature commented that the research achievement of rejuvenating batteries not only promotes the progress of basic science in the battery field, but also its originality and universality provide new guiding principles for the design of functional materials, which has significant interdisciplinary significance.

The research team also provides popular science videos to interpret and demonstrate the results they have published.
(Reporter: Sun Zifa. Video source: Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences)