Large-language-model-based white spot analysis of patent landscapes in emerging battery technologies

The rapid expansion of scientific publications and patent filings challenges conventional approaches for systematically assessing technological progress in emerging energy storage technologies. Here, we present an artificial intelligence-assisted patent analytics framework to identify technology-specific research gaps (“white spots”), using zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) and organic electrode materials (OEMs) as representative case studies. Patents were classified across multiple analytical dimensions, including materials, battery chemistries, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Three analytically distinct types of white spots are identified: limited absolute patenting activity within a given category (activity white spots), insufficient quantitative performance disclosure despite active patenting (reporting white spots), and disproportionate reliance on knowledge transferred from adjacent battery fields (knowledge-flow white spots). The analysis reveals a strong dominance of aqueous electrolyte concepts in ZIBs, accounting for 1883 patents, while non-aqueous and solid electrolytes remain underrepresented. Citation network analysis further shows that innovation in these underexplored electrolyte classes relies disproportionately on knowledge originating from adjacent battery technologies. For OEMs, up to 93% of the 368 patents focus on lithium-based chemistries, which exhibit the most comprehensive quantitative reporting. In contrast, sodium-based and all-solid-state systems are characterized by substantial gaps in KPI disclosure, limiting cross-chemistry benchmarking. Overall, the results demonstrate that white spots in emerging battery technologies arise not only at the materials level, but also from asymmetric knowledge flows and incomplete performance reporting. The here proposed framework provides a scalable tool for mapping technological maturity and supporting research strategies in next-generation energy storage systems.