Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering,
A team of researchers in China has unveiled an all-weather electrolyte designed to boost the performance of lithium batteries across a wide range of conditions. Scientists based in Shanghai and Tianjin report that batteries built with the new hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte delivered more than twice the energy density of conventional designs when tested at room temperature.
Beyond efficiency gains, the team says the chemistry remains stable in extreme environments, with batteries continuing to operate effectively at temperatures as low as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
The development points to a potential path for longer-lasting, more resilient batteries suited for EVs and other demanding applications, where both energy density and reliability under stress are critical.
Batteries can store up to three times more energy
In a study published last month in the journal Nature, researchers outlined how hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolytes could help overcome long-standing limits in battery power and energy density.
The team found that, for the same battery mass, energy storage capacity at room temperature could increase by two to three times compared to conventional designs. In turn, this suggests a viable route toward significantly more efficient lithium batteries, with implications for EVs, grid storage, and other high-demand applications, the South China Morning Post reported.
The advance could significantly extend electric vehicle range, potentially increasing it from roughly 310–370 miles to about 620 miles on a single charge, the scientists noted. Beyond EVs, the technology may also enhance the performance of devices such as smartphones, drones, robots, and even spacecraft, particularly in extremely cold environments where conventional batteries tend to struggle.
At the core of any battery is the electrolyte, a chemical medium that allows ions to move between the positive and negative electrodes. For decades, most lithium battery electrolytes have relied on oxygen- and nitrogen-based compounds because they effectively dissolve lithium salts. However, these materials have limits – they don’t transfer charge as efficiently under stress, which can slow down charging, reduce performance in cold conditions, and in some cases, raise safety concerns.
The team, part of Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources (SISP) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, developed fluorine-based electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries that offer lower viscosity, improved stability, and enhanced performance in cold conditions.
Using one of their hydrogen-, fluorine-, and carbon-based electrolytes, the researchers produced lithium-metal pouch cells with an energy density exceeding 700 Wh per pound at room temperature and around 400 Wh per pound at minus 58 °F.
By comparison, conventional lithium batteries reach about 136 Wh per pound at room temperature, dropping to roughly 68 Wh per pound at minus 4 °F. The researchers reported that even at minus 94 °F, their fluorine-based electrolyte maintained high efficiency and stable charge-discharge cycles.
Even with strong performance at both room and extremely low temperatures, the team noted that the electrolyte’s high-temperature stability still needs improvement. Raising the boiling point of the electrolytes could open the door to true all-climate applications, making the technology viable across a wider range of environments.