Open research questions in Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies

What the literature leaves open

• Although the present results support a certain degree of generality of the additive concept in AQDP, the current screening remains limited to a relatively small set of low-polarity molecules, and the evaluation of candidate additives was mainly based on ionic conductivity and macroscopic film quality.

  Additive-assisted quasi-dry process enabling freestanding sulfide electrolyte films for all-solid-state batteries · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of a stable and efficient solid-state polymer electrolyte for lithium metal batteries. The limited understanding of electron delocalization-driven techniques for enhancing ion transport and interfacial stability. The need for a novel approach to address the challenges related to ionic conductivity and interfacial stability in solid-state lithium metal batteries.

  Electron delocalization-driven high dielectric electrolyte for solid-state lithium metal batteries · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could explore co-doping strategies combining aliovalent dopants such as Ca or Y, which increase Li-interstitial concentration, with isovalent dopants such as Ce to modify the local migration environment and potentially enhance Li-ion transport.

  Atomistic Modelling of the Lithium-Based NASICON-Type Electrolyte LiZr2(PO4)3 · 2026 · DOI

• Future work should focus on constructing unified open databases dedicated to cellulose/chitin/lignin separators, coupled with multi-physics finite element simulation and large language model auxiliary analysis, to accelerate the iterative development of industrializable high-performance biomass-based porous membranes.

  Next-Generation Bio-Based Battery Separators: Current Status and Future Research Opportunities · 2026 · DOI

• While previous work has shown that ultra-thin copper layers down to 500 nm can significantly enhance specific energy when deposited by magnetron sputtering, the mechanical stability of micrometer-scale copper layers under repeated lithium or sodium plating and stripping in reservoir-free configurations remains an open question.

  Fabrication of Thin Copper Anode Current Collectors on Ceramic Solid Electrolytes Using Atmospheric Plasma Spraying for Anode-Free Solid-State Batteries · 2026 · DOI

• Despite these advances, practical flexible solid-state batteries remain at an early stage, and several critical gaps need to be addressed. (i) The evaluation conditions used in many studies are still not sufficiently close to real flexible battery operation.

  Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Flexible Solid-State Batteries · 2026 · DOI

• The gap in the existing research is the lack of understanding of the effect of low-level Ti substitution on the properties of garnet-type Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ solid electrolytes. The paper identifies the need for further research on the development of solid electrolytes with enhanced properties.

  Influence of low-level Ti substitution on the densification, ionic conductivity, and microstructure of garnet-type Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ solid electrolytes · 2026 · DOI

• Cellulose-based materials have emerged as a versatile and sustainable solution to address the challenges faced by lithium–sulfur (Li-S) batteries, including lithium dendrite growth, the polysulfide shuttle effect, and poor sulfur utilization.

  Cellulose-Based Materials and Their Application in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries · 2025 · DOI

• Finally, the advantages of using polymer-based binders and their limitations were discussed.

  Strategies to Suppress Polysulfide Dissolution and Its Effects on Lithium–Sulfur Batteries · 2025 · DOI

• Future work will focus on addressing these limitations and enhancing the models to achieve a more accurate representation of SPE materials.

  Li-Ion Mobility and Solvation Structures in Concentrated Poly(ethylene carbonate) Electrolytes: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study · 2025 · DOI

• The gap in current research is the need for improved fabrication techniques to control pore size and distribution. There is a lack of understanding of how to optimize membrane performance for specific applications. The paper identifies the need for further research in electrochemical energy storage applications.

  Recent Advancements in Fabrication, Separation, and Purification of Hierarchically Porous Polymer Membranes and Their Applications in Next-Generation Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices · 2024 · DOI

• The high viscosity, volatility, and potential leakage of traditional organic liquid electrolytes are major challenges. The growth of lithium dendrites induced by carbonate-based electrolytes is a significant safety concern. The low temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries is limited by the freezing of water-based electrolytes and the increased resistance to charge transfer.

  Electrolytes for High-Safety Lithium-Ion Batteries at Low Temperature: A Review · 2024 · DOI

• The study is limited to the development of new solid polymer electrolytes. The practical implementation and commercialization of structural materials as energy storage devices are still far from being achieved. Attempts to manufacture a structural supercapacitor and battery completely inside the glove box in a pouch cell are currently in progress, implying that the study has not yet reached this milestone.

  Hybrid Solid Polymer Electrolytes Based on Epoxy Resins, Ionic Liquid, and Ceramic Nanoparticles for Structural Applications · 2024 · DOI

• The specific phase transformations underlying the individual CV peaks remain to be established by future state-resolved structural characterization.

  Cycling-Induced Interfacial Reconstruction and Lithium-Storage Kinetics in Additive-Free Electrophoretic Deposition-Derived Methylammonium Lead Bromide Electrodes · 2026 · DOI

• While reduced electrolyte flammability and enhanced thermal stability are expected to improve battery safety, their direct impact on cell-level thermal runaway behavior has not yet been established.

  Impact of Using Flame-Retardant Electrolyte Additives in Li-Ion Batteries: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Ethoxy (Pentafluoro) Cyclotriphosphazene (PFPN) · 2026 · DOI

• This section distills how chemistry and architecture can be co-designed to deliver intrinsic fire safety without sacrificing ion transport and then translates those principles into manufacturable, sustainable solutions that hold up at the device level. 5.1.

  Towards Fire-Safe Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Strategies for Electrolyte Design and Structural Design · 2025 · DOI

• This review summarizes the fabrication methods of MPCEs and then investigates the functional role and mechanisms of MOF fillers in enhancing composite electrolyte performance, particularly their remarkable potential in accelerating ion transport, suppressing dendrite growth, and improving electrochemical stability.

  Enhancing Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries with MOF–Polymer Composite Electrolytes—Effect Mechanisms and Interface Engineering · 2025 · DOI

• Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLBs) have seen rapid progress in strategies to combat lithium dendrites, which remain the primary roadblock to their reliability and commercialization. A plethora of interface engineering approaches and material innovations have been explored to suppress dendrite initiation and propagation.

  Recent Advances in Dendrite Suppression Strategies for Solid-State Lithium Batteries: From Interface Engineering to Material Innovations · 2025 · DOI

• Further study on the mechanism of electron delocalization-driven high dielectric electrolyte, - Exploration of other conducting polymers for SPEs, - Investigation of the scalability and manufacturability of PLPA…

  Electron delocalization-driven high dielectric electrolyte for solid-state lithium metal batteries · 2026 · DOI

• The study does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the long-term effects of mechanical stress on ASSB performance, - The experimental setup is limited to a specific type of sulfide-based solid electrolyte, - The study focuses on a specific type of battery…

  Correlative Operando X‐Ray Imaging and Diffraction Revealing Mechanical Failure Pathways in Lithium Metal Sulfide‐Based All‐Solid‐State Batteries · 2026 · DOI

• Investigating the long-term effects of mechanical stress on ASSB performance, - Developing new sulfide-based solid electrolytes with improved mechanical properties, - Exploring the application of correlative operando experiments to other types of battery…

  Correlative Operando X‐Ray Imaging and Diffraction Revealing Mechanical Failure Pathways in Lithium Metal Sulfide‐Based All‐Solid‐State Batteries · 2026 · DOI

• Representative studies, such as the synthesis of highly conductive sulfide electrolytes by ball milling by Kato et al. and the construction of flexible composite electrolytes by in situ polymerization of monomers induced by ball milling by Yuan et al., not only demonstrate the diverse functions of mechanochemistry in material construction but also prove its application prospects in improving interfacial contacts…

  Mechanochemical Synthesis of Advanced Materials for All-Solid-State Battery (ASSB) Applications: A Review · 2025 · DOI

• Laser material processing can also improve the physical and chemical properties of materials used in SSLBs, such as (i) to clean and densify ceramic solid electrolytes, enhance interfacial adhesion to reduce interfacial electrical resistance; (ii) to modify surface morphology and crystal structure to improve ion conductivity; (iii) to engineer the interface between the solid electrolyte and the anode or the cathode…

  Applications of Laser Material Processing for Solid-State Lithium Batteries · 2025 · DOI

• The past 23 years have witnessed significant progress in research on sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN)-based rechargeable batteries, from its initial invention…

  Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile for Rechargeable Batteries: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

• Further studies on the scalability and commercial viability of the FCPE, - Investigations into the long-term stability and durability of the FCPE, - Exploration of the FCPE in various energy storage…

  Flexible Composite Electrolyte Membranes with Fast Ion Transport Channels for Solid-State Lithium Batteries · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies

• “Water-in-salt” electrolyte enables high-voltage aqueous lithium-ion chemistries · Science · 2015 · 3,657 citations
• Battery materials for ultrafast charging and discharging · Nature · 2009 · 3,354 citations
• Nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries · Nature · 1998 · 3,000 citations
• A highly efficient polysulfide mediator for lithium–sulfur batteries · Nature Communications · 2015 · 2,030 citations
• High-energy long-cycling all-solid-state lithium metal batteries enabled by silver–carbon composite anodes · Nature Energy · 2020 · 1,724 citations
• Molecular design for electrolyte solvents enabling energy-dense and long-cycling lithium metal batteries · Nature Energy · 2020 · 1,239 citations
• Benchmarking the performance of all-solid-state lithium batteries · Nature Energy · 2020 · 1,215 citations
• Understanding and applying coulombic efficiency in lithium metal batteries · Nature Energy · 2020 · 1,059 citations
• Electrolyte design for Li-ion batteries under extreme operating conditions · Nature · 2023 · 956 citations
• Self-assembled monolayers direct a LiF-rich interphase toward long-life lithium metal batteries · Science · 2022 · 946 citations

Most recent work

• Enhanced Polysulfide Immobilization and Conversion Enabled by N/O/P Co-Doped Hollow Carbon Nanofibers Hosts in Room-Temperature Na-S Batteries · Carbon · 2026
• Research Progress on Halide Solid‐State Electrolytes: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Modification · Carbon Energy · 2026
• Harnessing interfacial solvation structure for next-generation secondary batteries · Nature Energy · 2026
• Competitive anion coordination overcomes charge-transfer barriers for lithium–sulfur batteries · Joule · 2026
• Spinel zinc-cobalt oxide porous nanorod combined with reduced graphene oxide as an efficient cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries · Journal of Energy Storage · 2026
• Superionic composite electrolytes with continuously perpendicular-aligned pathways for pressure-less all-solid-state lithium batteries · Nature Nanotechnology · 2026
• Bioinspired Ultrastrong and Ion‐Selective Gel Electrolytes by Interfacial Coacervation for High‐Performance Lithium‐Metal Batteries · Carbon Energy · 2026
• In situ anchoring 2D hexagonal Zn-MOF on MXene toward robust anode-less 5 V–class Li metal batteries · Science Advances · 2026
• Biomass-Derived Carbon Modified with Conductive Co 3 (HHTP) 2 Nanorods as an Efficient Binder-Free Cathode for High-Performance Li–CO 2 Batteries · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · 2026
• Interface Engineering Strategies for Shuttle Mitigation in Alkali Metal–Sulfur Batteries: A Comparative Review from Li–S to Na–S and K–S Systems · Nano-Micro Letters · 2026

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