Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new kind of energy storage material that could make future batteries safer, more durable, and more efficient.
The innovation centers on a special gel-like material called an ionogel, combined with ultrathin polymer layers to form a tough, flexible membrane that controls how electric charge moves inside a battery.
The research, published in Advanced Functional Materials, explores how charged polymer membranes can be engineered to balance two critical needs: fast ion movement and strong mechanical stability.
Achieving both at once has been a long-standing challenge in energy storage design.
Modern batteries and other energy storage systems depend on ions—charged particles—that shuttle back and forth between electrodes during charging and discharging.
In many existing designs, these ions move through liquid electrolytes, which are efficient but come with serious drawbacks. Liquid electrolytes can be flammable, degrade over time, and allow the formation of dangerous internal structures that shorten battery life.
To address these issues, the ORNL team created what they call “pseudosolid polyelectrolyte membranes.” These membranes are built layer by layer, sandwiching an ionogel between flexible polymer sheets. An ionogel is a unique material that behaves like a solid but allows ions to move through it almost as easily as they do in a liquid.
“This balance upgrades both efficiency and safety,” said Bishnu Prasad Thapaliya, the study’s principal investigator.
One of the biggest problems in high-energy batteries—especially those using lithium metal—is the growth of lithium dendrites. These are tiny, needle-like structures that can form during repeated charging. Over time, dendrites can pierce the thin separator between the battery’s positive and negative sides, causing short circuits, fires, or complete failure.
The new ionogel-based membrane helps prevent this. By combining lithium salts with nonflammable ionic liquids, the researchers created a material that remains stable at room temperature and is strong enough to resist punctures. The membrane acts as both the electrolyte and the separator, removing the need for a free-flowing liquid altogether.
This solid-like structure not only suppresses dendrite growth but also withstands internal pressure caused by overcharging or gas buildup. In lab tests, batteries using the new membranes maintained stable performance through hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, even under conditions that normally degrade lithium-metal systems.
The work involved collaboration with scientists from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. Together, the team sees broad potential applications, ranging from consumer electronics and medical devices to aerospace and large-scale energy storage.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to scale up production using automation. ORNL’s Autonomous Chemistry Lab could allow robots to assemble the layered membranes around the clock, speeding up development and testing.
“Our goal is to build on this research and create membranes that can be manufactured at scale and used in real-world energy storage systems,” Thapaliya said.
If successful, this ionogel-based approach could mark a major step toward safer, longer-lasting batteries that meet the world’s growing energy demands.
Source: KSR.
