Monash University researchers have developed a new lithium-sulphur (Li-S) battery design featuring a nanoporous polymer-coated lithium foil anode, thereby reducing the lithium requirement in a single battery.
A new battery design, developed by Monash University’s PhD students Declan McNamara, Professor Matthew Hill, and Professor Mainak Majumder, along with RMIT University Dr Makhdokht Shaibani, uses less lithium, has more energy per unit volume, lasts longer, and is half the price of lithium-ion batteries, according to their recent paper.
Li-S batteries are a promising energy storage technology that uses metallic lithium and sulphur to deliver more energy per gram than lithium-ion batteries, but their extraction and transportation process leaves a significant environmental footprint.
However, Li-S batteries have limitations as well. Li-S batteries, typically consisting of a lithium anode and a sulphur cathode with a separating layer, experience significant strain when charged and discharged due to the reaction between lithium and sulphur.
McNamara said the thin polymer layer on lithium increased the number of times the battery could be cycled substantially.
“The polymer contains tiny holes less than a nanometre in size – one billionth of a metre – which allow lithium ions to move freely while blocking other chemicals that would attack the lithium. The coating also acts as a scaffold for lithium, and helps it charge and discharge repeatedly,” McNamara stated.
“Metallic lithium is a bit of a double-edged sword. Lithium is packed full of energy, but in a bad battery, this energy is wasted on side reactions. On the other hand, if the energy is channelled correctly, it can make some incredible energy storage devices that are easier to make. This coating is a step towards highly efficient, easily manufactured Li-S batteries,” he added.
According to Monash University, the new design eliminates the need for nickel and cobalt, which have significant environmental and social costs.
Professor Majumder believes these advancements are significant steps towards the widespread adoption of Li-S batteries and other lithium metal-based energy storage systems.
“Li-metal protection technologies will become crucial in our quest towards energy dense and sustainable batteries of the future. The study establishes a new framework to protect Li-metal from rapid decay or catastrophic failure which has been an achilles heel for Li-S batteries,” he added.
Professor Hill said the technology might have an instant impact.
“The market for electric vehicles, drones and electronic devices is on a steep growth pattern and this research is commercially ready for manufacturing to support that growth. Producing more economical and environmentally sensitive battery options in Australia would be a great use of this technology, and we look forward to working with commercial partners to develop and manufacture this technology,” he stated.
