China's 'Water Battery' Could Last 300 Years, Safely Discarded

Researchers in China have developed a new "aqueous battery" that could last up to 300 years and be safely discarded in the environment.

Published in Nature Communications on February 18, the study details a battery using synthesized covalent organic polymers (COPs) as an anode. The key compound, hexaketone-tetraaminodibenzo-p-dioxin, creates a stable, honeycomb-like structure.

Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which degrade, this design uses neutral electrolytes with a pH of 7.0. The result is a battery capable of 120,000 charge cycles, ten times the lifespan of typical grid storage batteries.

Because the electrolytes are non-toxic-the researchers claim they are as safe as tofu brine-the battery can be disposed of directly into the environment without special handling. The breakthrough solves a key trade-off between safety and longevity in large-scale energy storage.