💡 Imagine a battery you can twist and turn like a bendy straw without breaking! A research team at the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Chinese mainland has just made it happen. They’ve created a flexible solid-state lithium battery that survives up to 20,000 bends – a huge leap toward safer, next-gen power cells. 🔋
Solid-state batteries are the superstar of future energy storage: super safe, more energy-dense, and less prone to fires. But one big headache has been getting solid electrodes and electrolytes to play nice. Poor contact means ions struggle to move, slowing everything down.
Here’s the magic trick: the scientists designed a new polymer material packed with tiny ion-conducting ethoxy groups and short sulfur chains. This molecular makeover lets the electrode and electrolyte blend seamlessly, so ions zip through with ease and switch between transfer and storage modes as needed.
When they turned this polymer into a flexible battery, the results were wild: it handled 20,000 bends like a champ. Plus, using it as an electrolyte in the battery’s cathode boosted energy density by 86%! 🚀
This innovation not only opens the door for super-durable wearable devices and foldable electronics but also sets a fresh roadmap for designing high-performance, high-safety solid-state batteries. The future of energy just got a whole lot bendier! 🌈
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
