Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Team Reports Breakthrough in Solid-State Lithium Batteries

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A Chinese research team has reported a breakthrough in solid-state lithium batteries. Using a new process, they resolved a design issue with the batteries.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has announced a breakthrough in solid-state lithium batteries, as reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua. According to the report, researchers have developed a self-adaptive interphase in solid-state lithium batteries that maintains a tight contact between the lithium metal anode and the solid electrolyte without external pressure.

Maintaining this close contact has previously been regarded as an unresolved problem. Conventional methods require a constant pressure from external devices, making the batteries too large and heavy for practical use, as described by the news agency citing the Academy.

Details of the Development

The researchers found that the contact between the lithium electrode and the sulfide solid electrolyte in solid-state lithium batteries is not optimal and exhibits numerous tiny pores and cracks. These issues shorten the battery's lifespan and may pose safety risks.

According to the report, the research team introduced iodide ions into the sulfide solid electrolyte. During battery operation, these iodide ions move toward the electrode interface under the electric field, forming an iodide-rich interface. This interface can actively attract lithium ions and fill all gaps and pores—thus maintaining the tight contact between the electrode and the electrolyte.

Prototypes based on this technology have reportedly demonstrated "stable and excellent performance" after hundreds of charge and discharge cycles under standard testing conditions, according to the news agency. The prototypes "far exceed the level of similar existing batteries."

Energy Densities of Over 500 Wh/kg Possible?

The technology could enable batteries with energy densities exceeding 500 Wh/kg—and "possibly at least double the battery life of electronic devices," describes Huang Xuejie from the Institute of Physics. Huang is one of the authors of a paper on the research findings published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Flexible Battery

Another advantage of the polymer-based battery is its high bending strength, according to the news site Autohome. The integrated battery constructed from this material can withstand 20,000 bends. However, scientists from the Academy's Institute of Metal Research note, according to Autohome, that "the breakthroughs fall into the category of fundamental research."

The study involved researchers from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Academy, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Companies Investing in Solid-State Batteries

According to Car News China, an increasing number of Chinese companies are announcing plans to bring solid-state batteries to market. In September 2025, Farasis Energy is set to begin pilot production and delivery. Currently, the company is building a pilot line for sulfide solid-state batteries with a capacity of 0.2 gigawatt-hours. In July 2025, Anhui Anwa New Energy Technology, a company supported by Chery, announced that it had produced the first technical samples of solid-state batteries in China.

About the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the largest national research organization in the country, founded in 1949. The Academy has numerous commercial offshoots, including Lenovo.