By increasing volumetric energy density, South Korean researchers have created a battery that can travel 391 kilometers on a single charge. This would suggest that most EVs might have a better range.
The battery is the result of the work of a team led by Professor Soojin Park from Pohang University of Science and Technology’s Chemistry Department and Ph.D. candidate Sungjin Cho, as well as Professor Dong-Hwa Seo and Dr. Dong Yeon Kim from Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology’s School of Energy and Chemical Engineering (UNIST).
Lithium ions move to and from the electrode during recurrent charging and discharging, changing the anode materials’ structural makeup. As a result, regular batteries gradually lose capacity over time. Therefore, it was anticipated that if charging and discharging could be achieved with only a bare anode current collector and no anode materials, the energy density, which determines battery capacity, would increase.
This technique led to a considerable increase in anode volume, a significant flaw that drastically shortens battery life. In addition, the anode lacks a reliable site to store lithium, which causes the batteries to expand.
The volumetric energy density of the newly developed battery is 977Wh/L, which is 40% higher than that of traditional batteries, which have a volumetric energy density of 700Wh/L.
The researchers discovered that the battery could operate in a liquid electrolyte for a sizable amount of time-based on carbonate whilst also retaining a high capacity of 4.2mAh cm-2 and a high current density of 2.1 mA cm-2.
Additionally, it is impressive that the researchers could create solid-state1 half-cells2 using an argyrodite-based sulfide-based solid electrolyte. Due to its ability to maintain high capacity for extended periods, the innovative battery is expected to hasten the commercialization of non-explosive batteries.
The study was recently published in Advanced Functional Materials.
