Ultra-low concentration gel polymer electrolytes realize stable and low-temperature lithium–organic batteries

Organic batteries hold significant promise for large-scale applications due to their environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness, but they face challenges such as active material dissolution and sluggish reaction kinetics, particularly at low temperatures. Here, we employ gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with an ultra-low concentration of 0.1 M to tackle these issues. The diluted GPEs effectively suppress the dissolution and migration of organic species, reduce electrolyte decomposition by forming a polymer-dominated solid-electrolyte interphase, lower the Li⁺ de-solvation barrier, and enhance Li-ion diffusion under low-temperature conditions. The diluted GPEs demonstrate exceptional cycling stability and rate capability of organic batteries, achieving a cycle life of 1200 cycles at 2C and a high specific capacity of 101 mAh g^-1 at an ultra-high 10C rate at -50 °C. Moreover, even at a high mass loading of 8 mg cm^-2, the battery exhibits excellent cycling performance, retaining 90.0% of its capacity after 500 cycles. Our findings significantly expand the applicability of organic batteries to extremely cryogenic environments while also reducing costs.