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More electrons, less interfaces: how halide cathodes are redefining the energy density ceiling in all-solid-state lithium batteries

Halide cathode materials, long overlooked due to dissolution in liquid electrolytes, now enable dramatically higher energy densities through a fundamental shift in battery chemistry. Key strategies include multi-electron reactions, protective coatings, and nanostructuring to address stability issues.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeSystematic review·DateAug 10, 2026

Less lithium but faster ion transport: Interfacial percolation offers a new strategy for solid-state electrolytes

Researchers developed a lean-lithium oxychloride solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and tunable properties. The interfacial percolation strategy enabled the creation of a continuous transport network throughout the electrolyte, allowing for efficient lithium-ion migration.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 26, 2026

Beyond the paddle-wheel mechanism: Elucidating the microscopic lithium ion transport in solid-state electrolytes for next-generation batteries

Researchers discovered that lithium ions move through cooperative rearrangement of 'ion cages' formed by surrounding anions, not the previously proposed paddle-wheel mechanism. This finding provides new guidelines for designing safe and high-performance solid electrolytes.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 22, 2026

Mapping trade-offs to help build better EV batteries

University of Michigan researchers developed a framework to help stakeholders consider economic, environmental, and social trade-offs in EV battery development. The framework aims to balance the needs of various stakeholders, including manufacturers, drivers, and recyclers, to achieve better outcomes for batteries and electric vehicles.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalJournal of Energy Storage·DateJun 29, 2026

Water scarcity could undercut U.S. lithium mining

A new Northwestern University study finds that most proposed US lithium mines could face significant water shortages, posing challenges to the country's growing industry. Climate change and competition for resources exacerbate existing water stress in areas like southern California and Nevada.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalCommunications Earth & Environment·DateMay 28, 2026

Turning ocean water into drinking water, without waste

Researchers at the University of Rochester developed a solar-thermal desalination process that produces fresh water in an energy-efficient way, eliminating brine and requiring no chemical additives. The technology extracts nearly 100% of salts in solid form, producing table salt and precious minerals like lithium.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateMay 27, 2026

NUS CDE researchers develop safer all-solid-state sodium battery with low-cost 2D material

Researchers have overcome key safety and durability barriers in sodium-ion batteries by using a simple additive of graphitic carbon nitride. The additive promotes flexible, disordered zones where sodium ions move more freely and reduces polarisation, improving battery efficiency and stability. This breakthrough opens a scalable pathway...

SourceNational University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 25, 2026

New Worcester Polytechnic Institute research could give used electric vehicle batteries a second life as higher-performance materials

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute develop a one-step molten salt upcycling process to transform spent nickel cathodes into high-performance materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. This approach reduces recycling costs and energy demands while increasing the value of recovered materials.

Smart AI gives electric vehicle batteries 23 per cent longer life – without increasing the charging time

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology developed an AI method that adapts fast charging to the health of the battery, increasing its lifespan by almost 23%. The new strategy uses reinforcement learning and takes into account the battery's chemistry and state of health.

SourceChalmers University of Technology·JournalIEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 12, 2026

New review maps the most promising routes for recycling spent LiFePO4 batteries

The review maps the most promising routes for recycling spent LiFePO4 batteries, focusing on pretreatment, impurity control, direct regeneration, hydrometallurgy, and selective auxiliary processes. It highlights hydrometallurgy as a promising strategy for large-scale recovery needs.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 24, 2026

New EIS-based method could improve state-of-charge estimation for LiFePO4 batteries

Researchers have developed an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) identification algorithm to reconstruct EIS at low frequencies using short-duration sine-wave current pulses. The approach enables accurate state-of-charge estimation for LiFePO4 batteries, which is essential for battery management systems.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·DateApr 14, 2026

New feature-search method could make lithium-ion battery health estimation more robust

Researchers propose an efficient feature search approach for estimating lithium-ion battery state of health, reducing reliance on manually selected aging features. The method combines Bayesian optimization and ensemble regression to improve accuracy and robustness.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2026

New Fourier graph neural network could improve lithium-ion battery health estimation

Researchers propose a Fourier graph neural network to estimate lithium-ion battery state of health, capturing spatial and temporal feature relationships. The model achieves significant reductions in error compared to existing methods, suggesting improved accuracy and transferability.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2026

New rapid battery-capacity estimation method could shorten lithium-ion cell grading

Researchers developed a rapid battery-capacity estimation method using early voltage response during the first discharge cycle. The approach extracts electrochemical signatures related to battery condition and enhances features to improve prediction accuracy, reducing testing time by over 80%.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2026

New review maps battery status prediction challenges in the Industry 4.0 era

Battery performance is critical to electrified transportation and green energy systems. Real-world diagnostics are challenging due to complex environments and varying data quality. The review emphasizes the need for adaptive models and AI integration to improve battery status prediction.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2026

New path-planning equalization scheme could improve lithium-ion battery pack performance

A novel active equalization scheme uses path planning to address cell inconsistency in battery packs, improving equalization speed, accuracy, and robustness. The approach combines flexible topology with graph-based energy-transfer modeling and adaptive battery grouping to reduce energy loss and improve overall pack performance.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 14, 2026

Image-based machine learning framework sharpens battery health estimation across varying conditions

The integrated framework combines incremental capacity analysis with image feature transformation and a hybrid machine-learning pipeline to improve SOH estimation accuracy. It achieves an RMSE of 1.76% on the NASA dataset and shows robustness when operating conditions shift, suggesting better generalization across different datasets.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 13, 2026

New multiphysics model helps reveal how battery swelling force builds during charging

Researchers developed a three-dimensional electro-thermo-mechanical model to quantify the swelling force generated by lithium-ion batteries during charging. The model accurately identifies and quantifies swelling force, offering a new tool for improving battery safety.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 13, 2026

Physics-informed AI framework could improve early prediction of battery knee point and lifespan

Researchers have developed a multi-fidelity framework combining coupled degradation mechanisms with machine learning to predict battery lifespan. The framework addresses the challenge of making reliable forecasts before long-term aging data are available, enabling safer operation and better-informed decision-making.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 13, 2026

New two-step method improves early diagnosis of micro short circuits in lithium-ion batteries

Researchers developed a two-step diagnostic strategy to detect subtle abnormal behavior in lithium-ion batteries. The method combines Hellinger distance with an Inverse Markov Method to identify micro short circuits that can lead to serious safety failures and thermal runaway.

SourceBeijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd·JournalGreen Energy and Intelligent Transportation·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 13, 2026

New lithium-ion battery design could power longer-lasting electric vehicles and portable devices

Researchers developed a novel lithium-ion battery anode that stores more than 3500 milliampere-hours per gram, outperforming current graphite-based batteries. The new design, VISiCNT, features a vertically integrated silicon-carbon nanotube structure that maintains performance and stability over hundreds of charge cycles.

SourceUniversity of Surrey·JournalACS Applied Energy Materials·DateMar 26, 2026

Plasma and lemon juice: Milder method retrieves nearly 95% of critical minerals in battery waste

Researchers at Rice University have developed a new method to recover nearly all critical minerals from spent lithium-ion batteries, including metals like lithium and graphite. The process uses microwave-induced plasma treatment with room-temperature solvents, resulting in high recovery rates and minimal environmental impact.

SourceRice University·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 25, 2026

Thorny issue plaguing lithium-ion batteries laid bare in new study

Researchers directly measured lithium dendrites' mechanical strength, finding they exhibit unexpectedly high strength and brittle behavior under stress. The study provides insights into how dendrites respond to physical stresses within a battery cell, shedding light on the challenge of scale and access that hindered previous research.

SourceRice University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 12, 2026

A clear view to better batteries

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis developed an operando microscopy platform to study lithium plating in batteries. The platform revealed the conditions under which plating occurs, allowing for the development of performance maps to optimize fast-charging protocols and enhance battery performance.

Breaking down the battery problem

UT Austin researcher Arumugam Manthiram is working to advance lithium-ion battery technology by understanding the chemistry of oxide cathodes. His research aims to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly battery materials, addressing supply chain disruptions and high costs.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature Energy·DateMar 6, 2026

Compositional gradient design and microstructural engineering enable ultra-stable quinary Ni-rich cathodes in high-voltage pouch cells

Developing high-performance Ni-rich cathode materials is crucial for achieving single-cell energy densities exceeding 400 Wh kg‑. A research team synthesized quinary full-concentration-gradient cathodes using an in-situ co-precipitation strategy, featuring a Mn-rich, Ni-poor surface and radially aligned primary particles.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 27, 2026