The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has announced a major breakthrough in the development of solid-state lithium batteries, which could be a key moment for the future of electric cars and portable electronics.
Researchers from the Institute of Metallurgical Research at CAS have created a new generation of flexible solid-state batteries. They have managed to combine polymer molecules, ethoxyl groups and electrochemically active short sulfur chains. The result is impressive: the batteries demonstrate stable electrical conductivity, high energy density and, most importantly, exceptional resistance to mechanical deformation.
One of the main “headaches“ with solid-state batteries has always been poor contact between the electrode and the solid electrolyte. This problem leads to high resistance and significant losses in ion transport efficiency.
Chinese scientists have solved this problem by creating a new type of composite cathode with an integrated polymer electrolyte. This clever structure not only reduces resistance, but also allows the battery's energy density to increase by up to 86%. In other words, this new battery can store much more energy for the same mass compared to traditional lithium-ion solutions.
The other important feature of the new invention is its flexibility. Normally, solid-state batteries are quite fragile, but the new polymer composition gives them the ability to withstand up to 20,000 repeated bends without losing their performance.
This opens up huge doors. Such batteries could find application in the next generation of flexible devices, “wearable“ gadgets and even be integrated into structurally complex elements of electric vehicles.
The results of the study were published in the authoritative journal “Advanced Materials“, which is a serious confirmation of the scientific significance of the discovery. Although the development is still at the laboratory stage and is not ready for mass production, the creation of a working prototype is a clear signal that the transition from experiments to practical application is a matter of years.
The developments of the KAN attract the attention not only of the scientific community, but also of industrial giants, since the Academy, founded in 1949, is the largest national scientific association and is behind commercial units such as the world-famous Lenovo.
In fact, Chinese industry is increasingly actively investing in solid-state batteries. Only in September 2025, Farasis Energy began pilot production of such cells, and in July Anhui Anwa New Energy Technology, supported by Chery, presented the first engineering samples. Currently, most commercial electric cars use liquid or semi-solid cells, but developments like KAN's show that all-solid-state technologies are rapidly approaching real-world market adoption.