CO₂ can be used as a raw material in the production of thiocarbonate monomers. The resulting polymer turns out to be very suitable as a solid-state electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries, reports ChemSusChem.

The use of CO₂ in synthesis is not new. It can be seen, for example, in the relatively recent synthesis of poly(thio)carbonates. Thomas Habets, Christophe Detrembleur and colleagues from the University of Liège and the University of the Basque Country have now produced a variant that is liquid, has a lower melting point, is easy to synthesise and has interesting properties for an electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery.