Biomass-derived materials for next-generation solid-state batteries: From sustainable resources to advanced electrodes and electrolytes

Abstract

Biomass-derived materials are emerging as powerful enablers for sustainable solid-state batteries (SSBs), offering structurally tunable, chemically versatile, and environmentally benign alternatives to conventional battery components. This review critically examines recent advances in the use of bio-derived carbons, polymers, and composites across key SSBs elements, including electrodes, solid electrolytes, binders, and separators. Biomass-derived carbons produced via pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and molten-salt methods provide hierarchical porosity and controllable graphitization, enabling efficient ion transport, catalytic activity, and mechanical buffering in electrode architectures. Biopolymers such as cellulose, lignin, and chitosan serve as functional matrices for solid polymer and gel electrolytes, enhancing ionic conductivity, interfacial stability, and mechanical integrity, while their intrinsic microstructures can also template low-tortuosity inorganic ceramic electrolytes. In addition, bio-based binders, separators, and electrolyte additives help address critical challenges, including dendrite growth, polysulfide shuttling, and interfacial degradation. Remaining barriers, such as feedstock variability, impurity control, multifunctional performance trade-offs, and scalable processing, are discussed alongside emerging opportunities enabled by artificial intelligence-assisted materials design. By synthesizing fundamental design principles and recent progress, this review highlights how biomass-derived materials can accelerate the development of high-performance, safe, and truly sustainable next-generation SSBs.