Electrolytes Comprising a Rigid Polymer, Salt, and Salt-Coordinating Molecules

The commercialization of solid-state batteries faces a major challenge due to the lack of a single electrolyte material that can meet both technical performance and manufacturing needs. While polymer electrolytes like polyethylene oxide are easy to process, they struggle with low conductivity at room temperature and poor mechanical strength, making them unsuitable for real-world applications such as electric vehicles and consumer electronics. Inorganic ceramic electrolytes offer better conductivity but are brittle, hard to scale, and difficult to integrate with battery components, leading to higher production costs and design complexity. Hybrid solutions combining polymers and fillers improve some properties but often raise interfacial resistance and involve complicated fabrication steps. Businesses aiming to scale up battery production need an electrolyte that balances high ionic conductivity, safety, mechanical durability, and ease of manufacturing—without compromising cost or reliability. Without this, the path to mass-market solid-state batteries remains limited, slowing down innovation in fast-charging, energy-dense, and safer battery technologies.

Our solution is a next-generation solid-state gel polymer electrolyte that addresses key barriers to commercial battery adoption by combining safety, performance, and manufacturability in a single material. Using a unique nanofibrillar structure formed by a rigid-rod polymer network, this electrolyte immobilizes a liquid ion-conducting phase to deliver both high mechanical strength and reliable ionic conductivity at room and elevated temperatures. It eliminates the flammable liquid components found in traditional batteries, remains stable up to 180 degrees Celsius, and supports fast charging and long-term cycling from ambient to 120 degrees Celsius. The material can be easily cast into large-area films, reducing production complexity and cost. With broad compatibility across lithium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc chemistries, this versatile platform is well-positioned to accelerate the development of safer, high-performance batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage.