(a) Tests of Li+ transference number of BEA. Direct current (DC) polarization was conducted using symmetrical Li cells at 20 °C (the inset shows the impedance plots before and after DC polarization of the symmetrical Li cell). (b) Cycling performance of symmetrical Li cells with various electrolytes at a current density of 0.5 mA cm–2 (0.5 mAh cm–2). (c) Cycling performance of 50 μm-thick Li||NCM811 (4.06 mAh cm–2) cells with various electrolytes, cycled at a current rate of 0.5 C. The initial two cycles were conducted at a current rate of 0.1 C for activation. (d) Charge–discharge voltage curves of a 50 μm-thick Li||NCM811 (4.06 mAh cm–2) cell using BE. (e) Charge–discharge voltage curves of a 50 μm-thick Li||NCM811 cell (4.06 mAh cm–2) using BEA. Credit: ACS Energy Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c03221

The future of batteries is in your closet: Scientists show nylon can improve lithium battery performance

by · Tech Xplore

In two new studies published in ACS Energy Letters and Energy & Environmental Science, scientists in Saudi Arabia have made a breakthrough that could increase the power and lower the cost of lithium-metal batteries by incorporating nylon into the design.

Along with their lower carbon dioxide emissions, lithium batteries have a high energy density and are lighter than other batteries. This is why they are used in smartphones small enough to fit into your pocket and in the light, tiny electronics that have allowed us to travel to space.

Lithium batteries come in two types. Lithium-ion batteries are more common commercially and used in laptops, smartphones and other household products. Lithium-metal batteries, on the other hand, are more energy dense and have wider applications in robotics, transport and other industries. Preventing lithium-metal batteries from realizing their full potential is their safety and longevity. Their production and operation currently involve corrosive, hazardous materials and result in too many parasitic reactions, which are side reactions that result in poorer performance and safety.

Additives help stabilize battery interfaces, thereby enhancing performance. The studies by the KAUST researchers found that nylon, the same polymer used in clothes, can be dissolved in mild lithium solution to act as an additive for lithium-metal batteries. The result was lithium-metal batteries that were more efficient, had longer lifespans, and showed few parasitic reactions.

Abstract. Credit: ACS Energy Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c03221
Nylon electrolyte preparation and mechanical properties. (a) Photographic images illustrating the dissolution of PA in BE at different weight concentrations, observed at 60 °C and 20 °C. (b) Photographic images depicting the dissolution of PA in BE at a weight concentration of 10%. (c) Rheological study of PAE, with G′ representing the storage modulus and G′′ representing the loss modulus. (d) Plot of complex viscosities of PAE against angular frequency. Measurement of (e) Young's modulus and (f) adhesion force of PAE obtained via atomic force microscopy (AFM). Polarized light microscopy images of (g) PA 6 fiber and (h) PAE. (i) DSC results for PA and PAE over the temperature range of −90 to 260 °C. Credit: Energy & Environmental Science (2025). DOI: 10.1039/D4EE05739B

Thus, by examining the chemistry of nylon and lithium interactions, including key molecular bonds, the study shows that the commercial fabric can be dissolved in far milder solvents than previously thought for superior battery performance.

"Polymers have always been difficult to dissolve in common battery electrolytes. We did an intensive study of the chemical properties and modified the solvation structure and interactions," explained Zhiming Zhao, a postdoctoral scientist at King Abdullah University of Science (KAUST) who authored the study.

"My research team is dedicated to building renewable energy and storage solutions such as higher energy density and safer batteries to accelerate decarbonization adoption in the Kingdom. This was a discovery that promises cheaper and safer additives and demonstrates the benefits of basic scientific research," said KAUST Professor and Chair of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST) Husam Alshareef, who led the two studies.

More information: Zhiming Zhao et al, New Dissolution Chemistry of Nylon Promises Reversible Li-Metal Batteries, ACS Energy Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c03221
Zhiming Zhao et al, Nylon electrolyte chemistry in high-energy Li-metal batteries, Energy & Environmental Science (2025). DOI: 10.1039/D4EE05739B
Journal information: Energy & Environmental Science , ACS Energy Letters

Provided by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology