Biomimetic Thermal Safety Strategies in Batteries for Electric Vehicles: from Biological Principles to Engineering Approaches

With the rapid development of renewable energy and the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, thermal runaway (TR) in batteries has become a critical safety concern. Despite various protective technologies, TR remains frequent due to challenges in metal dendrite growth, material stability, and efficient thermal management. Inspired by natural structures and functions, biological principles have been abstracted to guide novel biomimetic approaches. This review focuses on TR mechanisms, summarizes the corresponding biomimetic principles, and discusses their applications in functional design strategies to enhance battery safety and stability. First, the review outlines current TR protection designs from both intrinsic and system safety perspectives, analyzing biomimetic strategies to enhance intrinsic safety by improving the thermal stability of battery components to reduce the risk of TR. Next, it explores the application of biomimetic designs in thermal management and protection mechanisms, including innovations in thermal management and structure. Finally, this review consolidates the findings from the preceding sections on biomimetic designs for TR protection, emphasizing current challenges and potential future directions, to offer new technical insights and guidance for research on thermal safety in batteries.