Electric field-driven migration of iodide ions to form iodide-rich DAIs. Credit: Nature Sustainability (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01649-y
Scientists have come up with a new way to improve the safety and performance of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs), the next-generation energy source technology that is set to power everything from electric vehicles to renewable energy grids.
Most batteries that are in common use today contain flammable liquid electrolytes. The next evolution in batteries is the ASSLMB, which replaces the flammable liquid with a non-flammable solid material to move electrical charge between electrodes. While they are significantly safer, there is a critical flaw that prevents them from being reliable and long-lasting. That is, repeated charging and discharging cause gaps to form between the solid lithium metal anode and the solid electrolyte, which means the battery quickly breaks down and stops working.
To solve this problem, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a self-healing layer they call DAI (Dynamically Adaptive Interphase) that keeps the battery connected.
As the team describes in a paper published in the journal Nature sustainabilityDAI introduces mobile iodide ions into the solid electrolyte when the battery is operating, which move to fill any gaps that appear. This dynamic layer acts as a continuous seal that keeps the layers connected and the battery working. It reduces the need to squeeze the battery layers with high external pressure, making the current complicated and impractical fix.
The results from laboratory tests of the batteries were remarkable. Full battery cells retained over 90% of their energy capacity, even after 2,400 charge and discharge cycles. To demonstrate the technology’s real-world potential, the team also assembled and tested a pouch cell, a type of battery commonly used in modern electronics and electric vehicles. It maintained 74.4% of its capacity after 300 cycles while no external pressure was applied.
The future of batteries?
DAI is only in its early stages of development, but if scaled up, it would be a game-changer. “The DAI strategy represents a paradigm shift in solid-state battery design, accelerating the practical implementation of high-energy and sustainable electrochemical storage systems in current energy networks,” commented the researchers in their paper.
The self-healing solution developed by the scientists could pave the way for safer and greener batteries that last for many years. The technology could also lead to electric vehicles with longer ranges and more reliable and sustainable grid storage facilities. When it comes to manufacturing, not having to include high-pressure systems inside battery packs will make it simpler and more cost-effective to produce them on a massive scale.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnoldedited by Gaby Clarkand fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—This article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You’ll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.
More information:
Guanjun Cen et al, Adaptive interphase enabled pressure-free all-solid-state lithium metal batteries, Nature Sustainability (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01649-y
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