Worried about your battery dying—or worse, overheating?
A new breakthrough from researchers at the University of Houston (UH) may help bring safer and longer-lasting batteries into everyday devices, from smartphones to electric vehicles.
For years, scientists have been working on improving solid-state batteries, which are considered the next big step in battery technology.
These batteries are more resistant to catching fire and can store more energy than traditional ones. But they also have a big problem: they tend to break down too soon, and until now, no one really understood why.
That mystery may finally be solved, thanks to the work of UH researchers in collaboration with scientists from Brown University.
They used a special high-resolution imaging technique called operando scanning electron microscopy. This allowed them to see inside a working battery in real time—something researchers haven’t been able to do before with this level of detail.
What they saw was that tiny empty spaces, or voids, start to form inside the battery over time. These small voids eventually grow and merge into a large gap, which can make the battery fail.
The team found that adding a tiny amount of magnesium—a common metal—into the battery helps stop these voids from growing. This simple chemical tweak keeps the battery more stable and allows it to work under less pressure.
Dr. Yan Yao, the lead researcher and professor at UH, said this discovery could reduce the need for heavy external casings that are currently used to keep solid-state batteries from falling apart. With this improvement, the batteries become lighter, safer, and more efficient.
This is especially important for electric vehicles (EVs), where weight and safety are key concerns.
Dr. Lihong Zhao, the first author of the study and now a professor at UH, added that the team’s real-time video footage gave them clear proof of how magnesium helps. With just a small change in the battery’s chemistry, its performance improved significantly—even under lower pressure, which is more realistic for everyday use.
This discovery, published in Nature Communications, could lead to big improvements not only for EVs but also for everyday electronics like phones and laptops. Batteries would last longer on a single charge and be less likely to overheat or fail.
The team, including researchers from Rice University and Brown University, plans to continue exploring other metals that might enhance battery performance.
Their goal is simple: to make the batteries of the future safer, stronger, and more reliable for everyone.
