The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced a breakthrough in the field of solid-state lithium batteries. Thanks to polymer molecules, the research team invented a flexible battery with a stable current level and a high energy density. It has yet to be applied in mass production.
Solid-state batteries are considered the future of electric mobility as they offer a higher battery capacity while eradicating risks of electrolyte leakages. However, battery manufacturers face several safety challenges during the development process of such packs. On October 7, Autohome reported that the Institute of Metal Research (which belongs to the Chinese Academy of Sciences) announced a new technology in the given field. Results of the research were published by the Advanced Materials academic journal.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the largest national research organization, established in 1949. The CAS has a lot of commercial offshoots, including Lenovo. It is an authoritative research center, so its latest publication in the field of batteries gained a lot of attention.
The CAS of solid-state batteries
According to the Institute of Metal Research, a poor solid-solid interface between the electrode and electrolyte in conventional solid-state batteries leads to high ion transport resistance and low efficiency. So, its practical application is limited.
The research team created a flexible solid-state battery. It contains polymer molecules, ethoxy groups, and electrochemically active short sulfur chains. The invented material boasts high ion transport capacity and also enables switching between ion transport and storage. A composite cathode with the integrated polymer electrolyte allowed increasing the energy density to 86%.
Another benefit of the polymer-containing battery is its high flexural resistance. Researchers reported that it endured 20,000 repeated bends. Its structure improves interfacial impedance and increases energy density. However, the CAS representatives highlighted that this flexible battery remains in the realm of basic research. It has yet to be applied in mass production.
It is worth noting that a growing number of Chinese companies announced future adoption of solid-state batteries. In September 2025, Farasis Energy entered pilot production and delivery. Construction of a 0.2 GWh sulfide solid-state battery pilot line is underway. In July 2025, Chery-backed Anhui Anwa New Energy Technology shared that the first batch of engineering samples of the solid-state battery (SSB) rolled off the production line in China. However, current battery electric vehicles adopt only liquid and semi-solid state batteries.
