LR03 battery

New chemistry develops in the US to make LR03 battery

Scientists led by the University of Maryland have designed a new lithium-sulfur battery cathode that they say will take this promising battery technology to a higher level of performance.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are one of many avenues scientists are pursuing to overcome the limitations of today's lithium-ion battery technology and develop energy storage solutions that rely on cheaper, more abundant materials. But when used as a cathode material, sulfur tends to lose performance quickly after a small number of cycles and dissolves into sulfides in the electrolyte.

Maryland scientists have found a way to improve the energy performance and stability of sulfur cathodes by using various forms of carbon to prevent the sulfur from combining with chemicals in the electrolyte.

"We exploit the chemical bonds between sulfur and oxygen/carbon to stabilize sulfur. This involves high-temperature treatment to evaporate 'raw' sulfur and carbonize oxygen-rich organic compounds in a vacuum glass tube to form a dense oxygen-stabilized sulfur/carbon composite with a high sulfur content," explains Chao Luo, a key author of the study.

Using a variety of microscopy techniques, the team could determine that 60% of the sulfur content was evenly distributed on the cathode, with the carbon acting to prevent the formation of polysulfides. The formation of a solid electrolyte interphase during the activation cycle completely seals the sulfur in the carbon matrix, providing superior electrochemical performance under low electrolyte conditions.

The team's work is described in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: A Chemically Stable Sulfur Cathode for Lean Electrolyte Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Back in 2020, scientists at Monash University in Australia used a similar approach to develop what they called "the world's most efficient lithium-sulfur battery" and applied for a patent for the manufacturing process they developed.

The University of Maryland-led team is confident that its cathode chemistry will lead to lithium-sulfur batteries with high energy performance and long cycle life, and that its work will open new avenues for scientists to study chemical bonding with sulfur materials as an avenue for future innovation, according to the team's analysis.

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