Researchers develop the first room temperature all-solid-state hydride ion battery

Hydride ion (H^–), with their low mass and high redox potential, are considered promising charge carriers for next-generation electrochemical devices. However, the lack of an efficient electrolyte with fast hydride ion conductivity, thermal stability, and electrode compatibility has hindered their practical applications.

In a study published in Nature, Prof. Chen Ping’s group from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) developed a novel core–shell hydride ion electrolyte, and constructed the first room temperature all-solid-state rechargeable hydride ion battery.

Using a heterojunction-inspired design, researchers synthesized a novel core–shell composite hydride, 3CeH₃@BaH₂, where a thin BaH₂ shell encapsulates CeH₃. This structure leverages the high hydride ion conductivity of CeH₃ and the stability of BaH₂, enabling fast hydride ion conduction at room temperature along with high thermal and electrochemical stability.

Furthermore, researchers constructed a CeH₂|3CeH₃@BaH₂|NaAlH₄ all-solid-state hydride ion battery using NaAlH₄, a classical hydrogen storage material, as the cathode active component. The positive electrode of the battery delivered an initial discharge capacity of 984 mAh/g at room temperature and retained 402 mAh/g after 20 cycles.

In a stacked configuration, the operating voltage reached 1.9 V, powering a yellow light-emitting diode lamp, which was a compelling example for practical applications.

By adopting hydrogen as the charge carrier, this technology avoided dendrite formation, paving the way for safe, efficient, and sustainable energy storage. With the tunable properties of hydride-based materials, hydride ion batteries hold immense potential for clean energy storage and conversion.