Top paper for research influence: Prospects for lithium-ion batteries and beyond – a 2030 vision

As of July 2026, the scientific paper published by Faraday Institution researchers with the most research influence (as measured by FWCI*) is “Prospects for lithium-ion batteries and beyond – a 2030 vision” as published in Nature Communications in 2020.

This paper, with Professor Dame Clare Grey, University of Cambridge and Principal Investigator of the Faraday Institution’s Degradation project as lead author, has a FWCI of 40.72 (26 times the UK average and 41 times the world average) and 860 citations.

The authors assert that it would be unwise to assume ‘conventional’ lithium-ion batteries are approaching the end of their era. The paper discusses current strategies to improve current and next generation systems, where a holistic approach will be needed to unlock higher energy density while also maintaining lifetime and safety.

It is the belief of the authors that fundamental science will be key to overcoming the fundamental roadblocks in the further development of batteries beyond lithium-ion.

The paper outlines that to make step changes in battery performance, researchers must increasingly learn how to control metastable materials and interfacial structures—from the solid electrolyte interphase layer to the interfaces between two components in a solid-state battery. The researchers raise the idea of self-healing systems that have emerged in the polymer space (and that have been suggested as potential safety shut-down mechanisms) and of the need to translate these concepts into cathode and anode chemistries.

The author’s conclude by reiterating the need to continue to develop new methods to increase the understanding of the multiple non-equilibrium processes in batteries:

With increasing technology demands, coupled with zero carbon goals that dictate reduced and more sustainable energy usage, the need for basic and applied research is more important than ever, with many fundamental scientific challenges remaining in the road ahead.”

*Field-Weighted Citation Impact measures how well a publication performs in terms of citations compared to similar publications in the same field, year, and document type. It is designed to normalise citation performance so that disciplines with different citation behaviours can be compared fairly. The UK FWCI over the same period is 1.54.

Success story published August 2026.