China's organic lithium EV battery aces -94°F to 176°F temperature test

Researchers from Tianjin University and South China University of Technology have developed a practical organic lithium battery prototype using a newly designed n-type conducting polymer, poly(benzodifurandione) (PBFDO), as the cathode. This organic cathode material offers advantages over traditional cobalt- and nickel-based lithium-ion batteries due to its abundance, structural flexibility, and tunable electrochemical properties. The prototype cells demonstrated robust mechanical integrity under bending, stretching, and compression, passed rigorous safety tests including needle puncture without failure or uncontrolled energy release, and showed potential for flexible electronics and wearable applications. The 2.5 amp-hour pouch cells built with PBFDO achieved an energy density exceeding 250 watt-hours per kilogram and operated effectively across a wide temperature range from approximately -94°F to 176°F. They also exhibited a high areal capacity (~42 mAh/cm²) and mass loading (up to 206 mg/cm²), placing their performance close to that of conventional lithium-ion batteries