Abstract A significant volume expansion exhibited by high‐capacity active materials upon lithiation has hindered their application as Li‐ion battery anode materials. Although tremendous progress has been made in the development of coating methods that improve the stability of high‐capacity active materials, suitable coating sources that are both strong and economical to use are yet to be discovered. Pitch is reported here as a promising coating source for high‐capacity anodes owing to the high mechanical strength and low‐cost process. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, it is found that pitch can withstand the severe volume expansion that occurs upon Si lithiation owing to its high mechanical strength, originating from the long‐range graphitic ordering. Notably, pitch‐coated silicon nanolayer–embedded graphite (SG) exhibits superior capacity retention (81.9%) compared to that of acetylene‐coated SG (66%) over 200 cycles in a full‐cell by effectively mitigating volume expansion, even under industrial electrode density conditions (1.6 g cc −1 ). Thus, this work presents new possibilities for the development of high‐capacity anodes for industrial implementation.

To develop a practicable Si-based anode for high-energy LIBs, a FeCuSi composite was developed by properly building Si-metal alloys.

Abstract A significant volume expansion exhibited by high‐capacity active materials upon lithiation has hindered their application as Li‐ion battery anode materials. Although tremendous progress has been made in the development of coating methods that improve the stability of high‐capacity active materials, suitable coating sources that are both strong and economical to use are yet to be discovered. Pitch is reported here as a promising coating source for high‐capacity anodes owing to the high mechanical strength and low‐cost process. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, it is found that pitch can withstand the severe volume expansion that occurs upon Si lithiation owing to its high mechanical strength, originating from the long‐range graphitic ordering. Notably, pitch‐coated silicon nanolayer–embedded graphite (SG) exhibits superior capacity retention (81.9%) compared to that of acetylene‐coated SG (66%) over 200 cycles in a full‐cell by effectively mitigating volume expansion, even under industrial electrode density conditions (1.6 g cc −1 ). Thus, this work presents new possibilities for the development of high‐capacity anodes for industrial implementation.

To develop a practicable Si-based anode for high-energy LIBs, a FeCuSi composite was developed by properly building Si-metal alloys.

Metal–polymer hybrid structures offer significant potential for lightweight and high-performance applications; however, achieving robust interfacial joining between dissimilar materials remains challenging. In this study, a novel metal–polymer joining strategy based on overcuring-assisted mechanical interlocking is proposed using vat photopolymerization (VPP). Dovetail-shaped grooves were machined on a steel substrate, and liquid photopolymer resin was intentionally overcured inside the grooves to form a strong mechanical interlock without adhesives or additional fastening elements. Experimental results showed that the maximum cured depth increased logarithmically with UV exposure time and saturated at approximately 700 μm, enabling full curing even in undercut regions. Tensile tests demonstrated that the maximum tensile load increased nearly linearly with the number of grooves (3, 6, and 10), while decreasing the groove angle from 90° to 29° significantly enhanced joint strength; in contrast, the polymer root width (1.6–2.5 mm) had a negligible effect. Finite element analysis revealed pronounced z -direction stress concentration at the groove nose for smaller angles, which correlated well with experimentally observed fracture modes. These results demonstrate that overcuring, traditionally considered a defect in VPP, can be effectively exploited as a reliable joining mechanism for fabricating high-strength metal–polymer composites with high geometric freedom.

As demand for lithium‐ion batteries increases, the supply of materials is increasingly constrained by their geographical concentration. This has spurred significant research into recycling spent batteries to enhance resource circulation. Currently, commercially applied recycling methods (such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy) face environmental and economic challenges, including waste acid and gas generation, high‐temperature heat treatment, and operational complexity. A promising alternative is the carbothermic reduction process, which operates at lower temperatures, minimizing costs and environmental emissions. However, this method still requires large quantities of external reducing agents. Therefore, this study aims to introduce a simplified direct carbothermic reduction (SDCR) process. The SDCR process leveraged carbon conductive materials and organic binders within the electrode as reducing agents. Additionally, the high compaction state created a conducive environment for reducing gases, promoting efficient reduction and material recovery. This approach reduces the reliance on external reducing agents and streamlines the re‐upcycling process, making it commercially viable.

High-Density Electrodes The coating strategy with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) effectively mitigates mechanical failure of the Si/graphite composite during the calendering process for high electrode density by imparting robust reinforcing and lubricating properties. Furthermore, the multilayered GNP structure enables efficient and reversible Li-ion storage via (de)intercalation. This approach offers valuable insights for enhancing the stability and performance of various fragile battery materials. More in article number 2404949, Minseong Ko, Sujong Chae, and co-workers.