While the global mainstream battery energy density is struggling to climb within the range of 250 to 300 watt-hours per kilogram, a research result from China has pushed this figure to 700 watt-hours per kilogram. This is not a gradual improvement but a disruptive leap. The joint team from Nankai University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Space Power Research Institute published their findings in the journal Nature on February 26, 2026. They successfully broke into the "forbidden zone" of the electrolyte design with fluorine elements, completely replacing the "lithium-oxygen coordination" paradigm that has dominated the industry for decades with the "lithium-fluorine coordination".

The core of this breakthrough lies in overcoming the century-old problem of difficult solubility of lithium salts in fluorine-containing hydrocarbon solvents. Traditional electrolytes rely on oxygen-containing solvents, but the strong coordination between oxygen and lithium ions acts like an invisible lock, limiting the rate of charge transfer and causing performance degradation and energy density reaching a ceiling at low temperatures. Fluorine theoretically has a weaker coordination, which can accelerate ion migration, but its extremely low dielectric constant and weak Lewis basicity make it difficult to effectively solvate lithium ions thermodynamically, and it has long been regarded as an "unbreakable" obstacle by the international academic community. The Chinese team did not stop at theoretical taboos but instead used precise molecular engineering to regulate the electronic density and spatial steric hindrance of fluorine atoms, ultimately finding the key to unlock the lock.

The significance of this breakthrough lies in demonstrating the profound transformation of China's scientific and technological innovation model. In the past, our efforts in the battery field were mostly focused on optimizing the efficiency of existing routes, which was like accelerating on a fixed track. This research, however, dared to explore a different path outside the established system and challenged the "impossible" in fundamental science. This "taking a detour to overtake" courage stems from the long-term and systematic research investment mechanism at the national level. In recent years, the National Natural Science Foundation of China has established the "Original Exploration Program" and "Major Research Program", clearly supporting high-risk, disruptive, and non-consensus research, providing institutional guarantees and trial-and-error space for scientists to challenge "forbidden zones".

From an application perspective, this technology has opened up the imagination space in high-end fields such as new energy vehicles, embodied intelligent robots, and aerospace. Its characteristic of remaining stable at minus 50 degrees Celsius directly breaks through the geographical and environmental boundaries of lithium batteries. Currently, leading enterprises like Gansu High-tech have initiated pilot tests, and the industry chain is rapidly following suit. Although large-scale production still faces cost and process challenges, the feasibility of the technical path has been proven, and it is only a matter of time before it moves from the laboratory to industrialization.

While global battery giants are still fiercely competing on the lithium-oxygen coordination track, Chinese scientists chose to directly reshape the race. This quiet "breakthrough" is far more valuable than the mere refreshment of technical indicators. It proves to the world that true leadership does not lie in how followers strive to run, but in whether there is the courage to raise the flag in the uncharted territory. There are no eternal forbidden zones in scientific innovation; only unbroken stereotypes.