Bar-Ilan / BASF study on rechargeable lithiated silicon–sulfur (SLS) battery prototypes
03 December 2011
Researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and BASF report in a paper in press in the journal Electrochemistry Communications on the development of rechargeable lithiated silicon–sulfur (SLS) battery prototypes. There is considerable interest in replacing graphite anodes with silicon materials to increase the specific energy of Li-ion batteries. To pair silicon with a high capacity cathode material such as sulfur, either the cathode or the Si anode needs to be pre-lithiated, since neither contains lithium. (Earlier post.)
The Bar-Ilan and BASF researchers prepared amorphous columnar structured silicon film electrodes and electrochemically tested them in a dioxolane-based electrolyte solution, containing LiNO3. Electrochemical performance of prelithiated amorphous silicon anodes coupled with sulfur composite cathodes was evaluated in full Si–Li–Sulfur (SLS) cells.
The reversible capacity at the first 10 cycles was 600 mAh/g sulfur with gradual fading to ~ 380 mAh/g sulfur after 60 cycles—the highest obtained capacity reported yet for SLS full cells, according to the team.
Resources
Ran Elazari, Gregory Salitra, Gregory Gershinsky, Arnd Garsuch, Alexander Panchenko, Doron Aurbach (2011) Rechargeable lithiated silicon–sulfur (SLS) battery prototypes, Electrochemistry Communications doi: 10.1016/j.elecom.2011.10.020
Li S battery have high capacity but they fade fast, though job but quite interesting
Posted by: Treehugger | 03 December 2011 at 09:13 AM
Difficult advances on many fronts.
I don't think refinement of the existing technology and mass production will get us there - nor will it outrun the ICE; which is not enough.
This type of work may bring the breakthru we need.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 03 December 2011 at 11:52 AM