26 Mar 2025

Heat-responsive gel electrolyte raises thermal-runaway onset in sodium-ion pouch cells

Advanced materials and metamaterialsEnergy and storage
AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.

What was demonstrated

The researchers formed a smart gel polymer electrolyte in hard-carbon||NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 sodium-ion cells. In the reported pouch-cell calorimetry, the thermal-runaway onset increased from 137.2 °C to 177.4 °C under the study protocol. A full cell with a 14 mg/cm2 positive-electrode mass loading retained 80% of capacity after 500 cycles at 50 °C. Above 120 °C, additional polymer crosslinking was designed to impede ion transport.

Why it matters

A temperature-triggered electrolyte response may add a material-level mechanism for limiting ion transport during overheating while supporting cycle life in a tested elevated-temperature full cell.

Caveats

  • The calorimetry figures describe specific pouch-cell tests and do not establish safety under every abuse condition or remove fire and gas risks.
  • The 500-cycle result is a laboratory full-cell result with a specified electrode loading; commercial pack performance, certification, cost and independent replication were not established.
  • The electrolyte was polymerised in situ during cell manufacture, so process control and scale-up remain engineering questions.

Technology profiles

Sources

  1. peer reviewed paper
    Smart gel polymer electrolytes enlightening high safety and long life sodium ion batteries
    Li Du, Gaojie Xu, Chenghao Sun et al.. Nature Communications, 26 Mar 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57964-7.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.