Innovative Quasi-Solid Electrolyte Designed for More Secure and Eco-Friendly Lithium-Ion Batteries
A groundbreaking development in lithium-ion battery technology has been announced by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo. The team has created a novel quasi-solid electrolyte called 3D-Slime Interface Quasi-Solid Electrolyte (3D-SLISE), designed to address key challenges of traditional liquid electrolytes and promote safer, greener, and recyclable lithium-ion batteries.
Details of 3D-SLISE
The 3D-SLISE is composed of amorphous lithium tetraborate combined with lithium salt, carboxymethyl cellulose, and water, forming a borate-water slime matrix. This structure creates a three-dimensional, isotropic ion conduction network, enhancing lithium-ion mobility and conductivity (~2.5 mS/cm), rivalling advanced aqueous electrolytes.
Manufacturing batteries with 3D-SLISE can be done at room temperature and ambient air without the need for dry rooms or high-temperature processing, thanks to the absence of volatile organic solvents. The process involves two separate slurries: Type E, used to mix with active electrode materials, and Type S, used as the quasi-solid electrolyte layer between electrodes, both dried naturally under mild conditions.
Advantages
The advantages of 3D-SLISE are numerous. It eliminates flammable organic solvents, reducing fire risks characteristic of conventional lithium-ion batteries, and uses water-based raw materials and energy-efficient processes, significantly lowering environmental impact and carbon footprint during manufacturing.
3D-SLISE also allows for direct recovery of active materials by water dispersion, facilitating straightforward recycling of valuable battery elements like cobalt and enhancing battery circularity. In addition, it enables fast charging/discharging and long endurance in 2.35 V lithium-ion batteries without performance loss, providing a practical, scalable alternative for many applications.
Cost and energy savings are also a significant advantage, as 3D-SLISE avoids expensive and energy-intensive conditions such as dry rooms and glove boxes, reducing production costs and complexity.
Applications
The potential applications for 3D-SLISE are vast, ranging from consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles requiring safe, fast charging and durability, grid storage and renewable energy systems needing green, recyclable battery solutions, and any portable or stationary energy storage where safety, sustainability, and recyclability are priorities.
Looking Forward
With its unique combination of safety, recyclability, and low-impact processing, 3D-SLISE could help reduce battery production costs while minimizing environmental harm, moving us one step closer to a circular battery economy. The detailed findings of the study on 3D-SLISE were made available in the journal Advanced Materials on July 9, 2025.
[1] Yasui, in relation to the study, noted that the technology could directly reclaim valuable elements like cobalt. [2] Direct recovery of high-value materials like cobalt is possible using this technology, contributing to a more sustainable and reliable supply of critical battery materials. [3] The quasi-solid electrolyte achieved a high ionic conductivity of 2.5 milli-siemens per centimeter and a low activation energy of 0.25 electron volts, making it efficient to operate at room temperature.
The 3D-SLISE, a novel quasi-solid electrolyte, is designed to address key challenges of traditional liquid electrolytes and promote safer, greener, and recyclable lithium-ion batteries. It is composed of amorphous lithium tetraborate, lithium salt, carboxymethyl cellulose, and water, forming a borate-water slime matrix that enhances lithium-ion mobility and conductivity. This technology could help reduce battery production costs while minimizing environmental harm and directly reclaim valuable elements like cobalt, contributing to a more sustainable and reliable supply of critical battery materials.
