Researchers created an electrolyte featuring isolated solvation nanoclusters that allows lithium metal pouch cells to exceed 500 watt-hours per kilogram without catching fire during nail penetration tests, according to research published in Nature Communications on September 7, 2026.
Scientists from Jilin University and the University of Science and Technology of China addressed safety hazards and dendrite growth by adjusting the miscibility between electrolyte components. By adding a non-coordinating, non-flammable cyclic fluorinated diluent, the team minimized intermolecular forces between the diluent and ion pairs. This structure formed isolated solvation nanoclusters, which improved lithium-ion transport to curb dendrite formation and fostered an inorganic-rich interphase to raise interfacial electrochemical and thermal stability.
The electrolyte allowed 50-micrometer lithium metal and 2.5 milliampere-hour per square centimeter LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cells to preserve 80 percent of their capacity through 800 cycles. In calendar aging evaluations, the cells retained more than 95 percent capacity after eight months. When tested in amp-hour-level pouch cells, the system surpassed 500 watt-hours per kilogram based on total cell mass, surviving both 200 percent overcharge and nail penetration while fully charged without swelling or catching fire.
Gree Altairnano New Energy Inc. assisted with the pouch cell safety evaluations. Dr. Nailin Yue carried out time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis, and Dr. Longyu Guo assisted with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Financial support included grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
