On May 19, Professor Fan Xiulin from Zhejiang University was invited to deliver a lecture titled "Research on Electrolytes and Interface Mechanisms for High-Specific-Energy Lithium Batteries" in Lecture Hall 1517 of the Energy Research Institute. The lecture was chaired by Professor He Zhixia, Dean of the Energy Research Institute, and attended by faculty and students from the Energy Research Institute, the School of Energy and Power Engineering, and the School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering.

In his presentation, Professor Fan Xiulin noted that currently commercialized EC-based electrolytes are prone to oxidation at the cathode surface above 4.3 V, hindering the formation of a stable cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). This significantly impedes the development of high-voltage, high-energy-density lithium batteries. Additionally, due to limitations such as the liquid-phase range of lithium-ion battery electrolytes, high interfacial impedance, and the stability of SEI/CEI interfaces, the operational temperature range of current batteries remains narrow (-20°C to 60°C). Furthermore, among all potential anode materials, lithium metal, graphite, and silicon each have distinct characteristics. Still, their interfacial reaction mechanisms with electrolytes differ, thereby affecting the electrochemical performance of full cells. Professor Fan Xiulin analyzed the underlying mechanisms of this series of electrochemical reactions from the perspectives of electrolyte composition, structure, microstructure, and interfacial reactions, aiming to enhance battery energy density and expand the operational temperature range. After the lecture, Professor Fan Xiulin engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions with the attending faculty and students.

Fan Xiulin is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University. His research focuses on high-energy-density lithium (sodium) ion batteries, including electrolytes and related interfaces, solid-state electrolytes, and other areas. He has published numerous SCI papers as a corresponding author in top-tier international journals such as Nature, Nature Energy, Nature Chemistry, Chem, Joule, Nature Communications, JACS, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie, and Energy & Environmental Science. His work has been cited over 37,000 times, with an H-index of 96. He has been listed as a "Highly Cited Researcher" by Clarivate Analytics for five consecutive years. His research achievements have been reported by renowned international and domestic media outlets, including C&EN, Science Daily, Engineering 360, R&D Magazine, TechXplore, Xinhua News Agency, and People's Daily.