Practical lithium–organic batteries enabled by an n-type conducting polymer

Nature News · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Article Published: 18 February 2026 Zhenfei Li1 na1, Haoran Tang ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0963-72302 na1, Yuanying Liang2,3, Yuansheng Liu1, Mengjie Li1, Lanhua Ma1, Hongpeng Chen1, Xiaoyu Zhai4, Xianbin Wei5, Meng Danny Gu ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5126-96116, Jiangwei Wang ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1191-07824, Yining Wang2, Shaohua Tong ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0000-5668-80412, Qinglin Jiang2, Yanhou Geng1, Yuguang Ma2, Yong Cao ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3845-76182, Yunhua Xu ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1818-36611 & …Fei Huang ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9665-66422 Nature (2026)Cite this article AbstractOrganic batteries using abundant and recyclable organic electrode materials provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to commercial lithium-ion batteries1,2,3,4,5, which rely on resource-limited mineral-derived inorganic electrode materials6,7,8. However, the practical use of organic batteries has been severely hindered by the intrinsic insulation and dissolution of organic electrode materials9,10. Here we report practical organic batteries using an n-type conducting polymer cathode, poly(benzodifurandione) (PBFDO), which exhibits excellent mixed ionic and electronic transport and low solubility. The PBFDO cathode maintains its n-doped state throughout the electrochemical processes and exhibits stable and reversible redox characteristics, high electrical conductivities and significant lithium-ion diffusion coefficients, without the need for additional conductive additives. Consequently, ultrahigh-mass-loading polymer cathodes, with mass loadings up to 206 mg cm−2, are realized, delivering a high areal capacity of 42 mAh cm−2 and demonstrating robust cycling stability. Furthermore, practical 2.5 Ah lithium–organic pouch cells were fabricated, achieving an impressive energy density of 255 Wh kg−1. Notably, the conducting polymer cathode operates efficiently over a wide temperature range from −70 °C to 80 °C and demonstrates excellent flexibility and safety, marking considerable potential for applications in extreme conditions and wearable electronics. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Buy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.USD 39.95Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support Data availabilityThe data supporting the findings of this study are available in the paper and its Supplementary Information. 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