Chinese researchers achieve breakthrough in core technology of lithium battery

A research team from China's Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources has achieved a pioneering breakthrough with a new electrolyte technology, allowing lithium battery to increase its capacity with better low-temperature performance.

The study was published in the international journal Nature on Thursday, Beijing time.

"Traditional lithium batteries generally have an energy density of about 300 watt-hours per kilogram, allowing electric vehicles to travel roughly 500 to 600 kilometers [on a single charge]. Our latest result reaches 700 watt-hours per kilogram. In theory, that could support a driving range of around 1,000 kilometers per charge, and possibly even higher," said Chen Jun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and executive vice president of Nankai University.

The breakthrough centers on a new electrolyte, the material that carries ions inside the battery.

Traditional electrolytes rely on oxygen-based solvents, which limit energy density and low-temperature performance.

The research team has developed new fluorinated solvents that allow faster charge transfer and use less material, significantly improving both energy density and cold resistance.

"At minus 50 degrees Celsius, the energy density can still reach 400 watt-hours per kilogram. By contrast, traditional lithium-ion batteries at zero degrees retain less than one-third of their capacity. We believe this battery shows strong potential in new energy vehicles, embodied robotics, low-altitude economy applications such as drones in cold regions, as well as aerospace, including lunar missions which require hypothermal performance," Chen said.