China’s organic lithium EV battery aces -94°F to 176°F temperature, rigorous puncture tests

Interesting engineering ^ | Feb 21,2026 | By Bojan Stojkovski

[GenXPolymath]

Chinese researchers have developed a lithium-organic battery prototype that withstands rigorous mechanical and thermal stress while delivering high energy density.

Organic cathode materials are emerging as a credible alternative to the cobalt- and nickel-based compounds that dominate today’s lithium-ion batteries. Built from abundant molecular precursors, these polymer systems offer intrinsic structural flexibility alongside tunable electrochemical properties.....

The researchers found that the cells retained mechanical integrity under bending, stretching, and compression. They also passed stringent safety evaluations, including needle puncture tests, without structural failure or uncontrolled energy release. The material’s elasticity further positions it for potential use in flexible electronics and wearable energy storage systems....

Using this polymer, researchers built 2.5 amp-hour pouch cells with an energy density above 250 watt-hours per kilogram. The cells remained operational across a wide temperature range, from about -94°F to 176°F. They also achieved a high areal capacity of roughly 42 milliamp-hours per square centimeter and mass loading up to 206 milligrams per square centimeter. ....

These figures place the organic prototype within the performance envelope of conventional lithium-ion batteries, while introducing a new materials platform based on organic chemistry rather than metal-heavy cathodes, CarNewsChina writes.

Around the world, researchers are racing to develop batteries that rely less on heavy metals and more on sustainable organic materials. Teams in Japan, South Korea, and across Europe have been investigating organic cathodes and electrodes as alternatives to conventional metal-based chemistries.

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
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[GenXPolymath]

February must be battery month CES Vegas just happened in early Jan.

Don't count lithium ion out yet. Even with sodium ion and solid state cells trying to steal it's thunder.

The world runs on lithium ion, the anode issue was solved with carbon,graphite,silicon, or metal foils.

The two points here are this is a drop in upgrade for existing lithium cells using the same manufacturing processes and lines. It completely avoids.conflict metals and the nickel bottleneck as well. Substituting in organic chemicals of carbon,hydrogen,oxygen based polymers.

[Poly(benzodifurandione), often abbreviated as PBFDO or n-PBDF, is an n-type conductive polymer with a repeat unit monomer formula of . Its structure is derived from 3,7-dihydrobenzo[2-b:4, 5-b′]difuran-2,6-dione, featuring a highly conjugated, planar, and side-chain-free backbone, making it effective for high-conductivity organic electronics. ]

Second point look at the operating temperature range. Not even the coldest inhabited place of inner Siberia gets this cold. ...

[Coldest Inhabited Place: The town of Oymyakon in Siberia, Russia, holds the record for the coldest permanently inhabited place, reaching -90F]

[AZJeep]

We’ve got organic lettuce, organic bananas, organic beef, organic eggs and even organic beef and whiskey.
Now we’ve got organic lithium.
For the WOKE maniacs.🤣

[frank ballenger]

Old days of live TV....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_fKppH8B0g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NHq3Yze6s0

[GenXPolymath]

Poly(benzodifurandione), often abbreviated as PBFDO or n-PBDF, is an n-type conductive polymer with a repeat unit monomer formula of C10H24

Its structure is derived from 3,7-dihydrobenzo[2-b:4, 5-b′]difuran-2,6-dione, featuring a highly conjugated, planar, and side-chain-free backbone, making it effective for high-conductivity organic electronics.

Chemical Structure: The monomer unit is 3,7-dihydrobenzo[2-b:4, 5-b′]difuran-2,6-dione.
Formula Notation:C10H24

With the formula of the base unit.

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are not rare, conflict or hard to come by.

[Leaning Right]

Interesting. But it’s news out of China.
So it could be anywhere from 0 to 100% true.

Sort of like any story from our mainstream media.

[catnipman]

yeah, but is it organic, free-range, non-GMO lithium mined by genuine NLRB-certified Disney dwarfs?

[butlerweave]

Bet they blow up real good

[GenXPolymath]

It did pass the steel needle puncture test that would set off a thermal runaway by shorting it out and fire if it was gonna that would do it.

Remember we all have lithium batteries in our pockets right next to the gioielli di famiglia. We sleep with at least one next to our heads, keep one in our laps while we type e-mails. We hand them to our kids and let them play with the tablet that has this great fire demon in it.

It’s the liquid electrolyte that’s flammable not all lithium cells use solvent based electrolyte. LFP doesn’t well some do but BYD Bladepacks don’t.

If this cathode is compatible with aqueous electrolyte them there is zero fire risk. Given it aced the penetration test it is most likely a non flammable electrolyte.

[No name given]

Most likely.

[WKUHilltopper]

Since when have commies not lied? I remember when the Soviets claimed they created an airplane that flies with antigravity and all they did was airbrush the propeller out of the photograph. But believe it if you want.

[GenXPolymath]

“Interesting. But it’s news out of China.
So it could be anywhere from 0 to 100% true.

Sort of like any story from our mainstream media.”

China are the undisputed leaders in lithium batteries they out produce the entire world combined production. They also have more PhD graduates than the entire planet combined and a good number of those went to Ivy League schools here or tier one research universities like UT Austin who helped invent the lithium ion btw.

This is not a huge change they are taking out a cathode material that uses conflict minerals and expensive nickel and putting in conductive polymers this would be made on the same roll to roll process as today they would swap cobalt nickel paste with polymer film or paste and run with it the anode stays the same and probably switch to a aqueous electrolyte since most polymers tolerate water being plastic and all.

The key is cheap raw materials and a huge operating temp range. That’s as much cathode dependent as electrolyte. Could be alcohol or ester based to get to super low freeze points or ionic liquids too.

[algore]

sounds better than a dozen doughnuts

[GenXPolymath]

This is a materials change to an existing product not some anti gravity quackery. Lots of groups have been looking for replacements for the NMC cathode , LFP is one but it’s not as high energy density and still uses phosphorus which until the Norwegians found a fjord full of a couple centuries worth was running low.

This is swap the nickel paste with polymer film or paste. They already dominate the market with BYD and CATL both out producing anyone else this will be a step wise improvement just like lithium ion polymer cells went to NMC for energy density and LFP for lower costs organics are just another form of the original lithium ion polymer cells but with much better polymer. It’s a materials science step improvement but the wide temp range and puncture resistance is a plus given that virtually every portable device has a lithium cell in it. So do my trail cams, ring door bell, gate cams, security cams all outside and exposed to 4F to 115F here in Texas I welcome better lithium cells for those devices who wouldn’t. Only bitter old people crap on progress because it was not done here. Well we are so far behind with STEM in this country get used to it. Kids do woke degrees over PhD in chemistry it’s the Asians who are STEM heavy. Out of my class only 2 where white than other 6 PhD candidates were Asians and 4 where Chinese the others where Indian and Korean

[WKUHilltopper]

Believe the Chi Coms. They won’t steer you wrong, comrade.

[butlerweave]

I don’t carry a cell/smart phone , I don’t want to talk to anyone ,LOL

[GenXPolymath]

You act like this is something that needs a great subterfuge? Why this is classic materials science that lots of people have been working on for a while. They likely used their huge lead in AI to have it search for every possible conductive polymer combination imaginable and then had it build digital twins and ran testing for what would have taken humans a decade to do.

It’s just a organic polymers substitute for a cathode material it’s not reinventing the wheel. You roll to roll process NMC and polymer was done this way and lithium polymer cells are still being made RCR123A (LiPo) cells are made every day my gun mounted flash lights each use one or two of them. This is changing out the Po part of the LiPo that’s it with a chemically better polymer that’s it, not some grand evil conspiracy. It’s basic materials science which China is rather good at they are the leaders in this tech they manufacture more than everyone else combined and have the supply chain to do so. I other than the temp range not having to buy up the DRC whole supply of cobalt is a powerful motivator to fund th is exact materials science.

Again not a years maybe from now breakthrough this was testing to prove it could take a torture test they know and we all know LiPo cells work it will take weeks to swap the polymer rolls out on a roll to roll manufacturing line old polymer out new better polymer with better properties.

[Revel]

So it turns out that Marry Shelly developed the ultimate organic battery many years ago in 1816. Its name was Frankenstein.

[WKUHilltopper]

LOL. You act like I’m reading your dissertations. But you believe the commies. They don’t lie. Throw some investment their way.They’re your friend. They won’t crawl fish on you.