Tofu Brine Water Batteries Exceed 120,000 Cycles and Can Last Decades, Outperforming Lithium-Ion Batteries

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 21/02/2026 at 16:30

Updated on 21/02/2026 at 16:31

Baterias de água com salmoura de tofu superam 120 mil ciclos e propõem alternativa às tecnologias de íon-lítio.

Be the first to react!

Study Conducted By Researchers From Hong Kong Indicates That Water Batteries Developed With Tofu Brine Exceed 120,000 Charge Cycles, Extending Durability Compared To Lithium-Ion Technologies And Highlighting Potential Application In Electric Grids And Energy Storage Systems

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology developed a Chinese innovation in water batteries based on tofu brine that can exceed 120,000 cycles, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, focusing on stability and safety.

Chinese Innovation In Water Batteries Demonstrates Stability Exceeding 120,000 Cycles

The Chinese innovation in water batteries uses electrodes described as organic and neutral, non-toxic electrolytes. According to the team, the system can withstand more than 120,000 charge cycles under neutral conditions, with brine levels similar to seawater.

In a scientific article, the researchers stated that, compared to current aqueous battery systems, the new system offers exceptional long-term cycling stability and environmental friendliness under neutral conditions.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Comparison With Lithium-Ion Batteries Highlights Differences In Cycles And Safety

Lithium-ion batteries typically operate between 1,000 and 3,000 charge cycles. They are described as highly flammable if damaged and may experience thermal runaway. They also pose environmental risks upon disposal and degrade over time.

These batteries are widely used in small electronic devices and electric vehicles. In the case of EVs, the inherent flammability has caused many fires over the years, as outlined in the foundational material.

In contrast, water-based batteries are considered non-flammable and contain little to no toxic materials. They are also described as easier and safer to dispose of, and can be manufactured with cheaper and less rare materials.

Traditional Limitations Of Aqueous Batteries And Technological Advancement Presented

Traditionally, aqueous batteries struggle to maintain long duration. This occurs because water tends to decompose at certain voltages, which limits performance.

The new battery, by exceeding 120k cycles, represents an advancement in terms of utility. For comparison, cell phone batteries typically require about 800 cycles before they begin to degrade.

Electric vehicle batteries usually last between 1,500 and 3,000 cycles. An LFP battery intended for electric grids operates between 6,000 and 10,000 cycles. Given these numbers, the Chinese innovation in water batteries shows a significant difference in durability.

Potential Applications And Questions About Scalability

With over one hundred thousand cycles, a single water-based battery can last at least a decade. The material highlights applications such as storage in electric grids, including solar farms and balancing wind energy.

The text indicates that this type of application is likely the intended use for the new battery. Although it could theoretically be used in phones, these batteries have lower energy densities and may not be suitable in the long run.

Possible uses are also cited for backup systems for data centers and military installations. The technology is seen as potentially relevant for renewable energy storage projects and rural electrification.

The material emphasizes that advancements in battery technology occur frequently in academia, but not all reach the market. Scalability, sufficient energy density, and cost at an industrial scale are decisive factors.

Another highlighted point is the need for reliable operation outside of laboratory conditions. If these challenges are resolved, the technology could have a promising future.

The Chinese innovation in water batteries based on tofu brine is presented as a reality, with the study available in the journal Nature Communications, marking a new performance benchmark in aqueous systems, although its commercial application depends on practical and industrial validation.

Tofu Brine Water Batteries Exceed 120,000 Cycles and Can Last Decades, Outperforming Lithium-Ion Batteries

Study Conducted By Researchers From Hong Kong Indicates That Water Batteries Developed With Tofu Brine Exceed 120,000 Charge Cycles, Extending Durability Compared To Lithium-Ion Technologies And Highlighting Potential Application In Electric Grids And Energy Storage Systems

Chinese Innovation In Water Batteries Demonstrates Stability Exceeding 120,000 Cycles

Comparison With Lithium-Ion Batteries Highlights Differences In Cycles And Safety

Traditional Limitations Of Aqueous Batteries And Technological Advancement Presented

Potential Applications And Questions About Scalability

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

The coastal El Niño is not the classic El Niño, but it already raises a question in Brazil: can the phenomenon alter rain, heat, and winter?

The commander of the Brazilian Army publicly admitted that the country now perceives real threats in South America, something that, according to him, did not exist in the past, and advocates for the increasing use of drones and technology to secure the borders.

In China, even those who beg on the street already have a QR Code, paper money has practically disappeared from daily life in just ten years, and the entire country has come to live on invisible payments via mobile phones.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Scientists considered detonating 213 nuclear bombs in the Sahara to create an artificial sea the size of El Salvador, with each explosion being a hundred times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, and the goal was to generate more energy than Egypt’s largest hydroelectric plant.

Tofu Brine Water Batteries Exceed 120,000 Cycles and Can Last Decades, Outperforming Lithium-Ion Batteries

Study Conducted By Researchers From Hong Kong Indicates That Water Batteries Developed With Tofu Brine Exceed 120,000 Charge Cycles, Extending Durability Compared To Lithium-Ion Technologies And Highlighting Potential Application In Electric Grids And Energy Storage Systems

Chinese Innovation In Water Batteries Demonstrates Stability Exceeding 120,000 Cycles

Comparison With Lithium-Ion Batteries Highlights Differences In Cycles And Safety

Traditional Limitations Of Aqueous Batteries And Technological Advancement Presented

Potential Applications And Questions About Scalability

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

Cheap car, expensive repair: Renault Kwid 2020/2021 with 127,000 km requires a new engine costing R$ 11,500, and the final bill exceeds R$ 16,000.

Renault 4 electric gets Plein Sud version with a fabric roof that opens 92 cm, starting at €37,290 and featuring 28 driving assistants in a nostalgic bid to drive in the open air without sacrificing interior space.

Used Renault Logan surprises with its space, giant 510-liter trunk, and affordable maintenance.

Price of the electric Chevrolet, which once cost R$ 329,000, drops to R$ 135,000 after a 58% depreciation in less than four years; Bolt EV offers up to 459 km of range and has become a surprise among used cars in Brazil.

The coastal El Niño is not the classic El Niño, but it already raises a question in Brazil: can the phenomenon alter rain, heat, and winter?

The commander of the Brazilian Army publicly admitted that the country now perceives real threats in South America, something that, according to him, did not exist in the past, and advocates for the increasing use of drones and technology to secure the borders.

In China, even those who beg on the street already have a QR Code, paper money has practically disappeared from daily life in just ten years, and the entire country has come to live on invisible payments via mobile phones.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Scientists considered detonating 213 nuclear bombs in the Sahara to create an artificial sea the size of El Salvador, with each explosion being a hundred times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, and the goal was to generate more energy than Egypt’s largest hydroelectric plant.