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Solid-state batteries, as the core technological pathway for next-generation lithium batteries, hold broad application potential in fields such as new energy vehicles and the emerging low-altitude economy. In recent months, Chinese scientists have made a series of breakthroughs in this frontier field.
Recently, Chinese researchers successfully cracked the key bottleneck of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries, enabling a leapfrog improvement in performance. While today’s electric vehicles typically offer a maximum range of around 500 km, this new solid-state battery technology is expected to push that figure beyond the 1,000 km ceiling.
This means that a single full charge could take an EV farther than most gasoline cars can travel on a full tank—typically 600–800 km. In practical terms, it would allow drivers to go from Shenzhen to Changsha, from Paris to Milan, or even make a round trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco without stopping to recharge. Once realized, this breakthrough would eliminate “range anxiety” for electric vehicles entirely and set the stage for the eventual end of the gasoline era.
The Previous Bottleneck of Solid-State Batteries
Charging and discharging in batteries rely on lithium ions shuttling back and forth between the anode and cathode. These lithium ions act like “delivery couriers,” transporting electrons from the positive electrode to the negative one. The solid-state electrolyte functions as the “road” the couriers travel on.
However, commonly used sulfide-based solid electrolytes are extremely hard and brittle—like ceramics—whereas lithium metal electrodes are as soft as modeling clay. When the two are brought into contact, it’s like pressing clay onto a ceramic plate: the interface is full of pits and gaps. Such an uneven “road” severely hinders ion transport, leading to poor charging and discharging efficiency—one of the main reasons solid-state batteries haven’t yet been widely commercialized.
Now, several Chinese research teams have stepped in. By achieving breakthroughs in three key technologies, they have found ways to make the “ceramic plate” and “modeling clay” fit together seamlessly, resolving the solid-solid interfacial contact problem and clearing the final obstacle to long-range solid-state battery performance.
“Special Glue” — Iodine Ions
A team led by the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a “special glue” that automatically migrates toward the interface between the electrode and electrolyte when the battery is operating. It actively attracts lithium ions to flow toward the gaps or pores and fills them in.
Through this self-repair mechanism, the electrode and electrolyte can form a perfectly tight bond, overcoming the biggest hurdle to practical all-solid-state batteries.
In addition, scientists at the Institute of Metals, Chinese Academy of Sciences, created a polymer-based “skeleton” for the electrolyte, giving the battery stretchability and resilience—akin to an upgraded plastic wrap. It can withstand over 20,000 bending cycles and even twisting into a rope shape without damage, making it immune to everyday deformation.
Meanwhile, they embedded tiny “chemical modules” into the flexible framework—some accelerate lithium-ion transport, while others capture extra ions—resulting in an 86% increase in energy storage capacity.
The Third Chinese Innovation: “Fluorine Reinforcement”
A research team at Tsinghua University modified the electrolyte using fluorinated polyethers. Fluorine is exceptionally resistant to high voltage; the “fluoride protection shell” formed on the electrode surface prevents the electrolyte from being pierced by high-voltage stress.
This technology enables the battery to pass both needle-puncture tests at full charge and sustained exposure to 120°C without explosion, delivering both safety and extended range simultaneously.
Editor: Zhongxiaowen