Shear-Thickening Electrolyte

Non-flammable, Impact-Resistant

Replacing carbonate solvent with non-flammable ionic liquid and adding SiO2 nanoparticles enables rapid shear thickening, providing dual safety with flame retardancy and impact resistance.

Tian, Xiaolu · Yan, Liu · Chunli, Zhao · Li, Chunhui · Xiqin, Yang · Jingjing, Zhang · Lang, Junwei · Shchukin, Dmitry G. · Hongyan, Du · Li, Mingtao

Chemical Engineering Journal 2025

Specifications

Critical shear rate

{'zh': '1.43', 'en': '1.43'} s⁻¹

Thickening ratio

{'zh': '89.0', 'en': '89.0'}

Ionic conductivity

{'zh': '3.63 × 10⁻³', 'en': '3.63 × 10⁻³'} S cm⁻¹

Discharge capacity at 0.1C

{'zh': '150', 'en': '150'} mAh/g

Discharge capacity at 0.5C

{'zh': '120', 'en': '120'} mAh/g

Impact resistance

{'zh': '1.4', 'en': '1.4'} J

Advantages

Stiffens on impact

Under high shear stress, SiO2 nanoparticles form aggregates that rapidly thicken the electrolyte, mechanically separating electrodes during a crash to prevent internal short circuits.

Non-flammable

Using the non-flammable ionic liquid [BMIM]BF4 as solvent instead of flammable carbonates renders the electrolyte itself non-combustible.

Impact resistance greatly improved

Adding SiO2 raises the electrolyte's impact resistance from 0.4 J to 1.4 J.

Applications

• Safe Lithium Batteries：For batteries requiring impact resistance and flame retardancy, e.g., reducing fire risk in EV crashes.
• Battery Electrolytes：Replaces conventional carbonate electrolytes, offering dual safety of shear-thickening and non-flammability.
• Solid-state Battery Precursors：As a quasi-solid electrolyte precursor combining high ionic conductivity with mechanical protection.
• Smart Shear-Thickening Materials：Exploits SiO2 aggregation for shear-thickening, useful in smart protective electrochemical devices.