Berlin-based Theion, a developer of lithium-sulfur cathode technology, appointed Dr. Ulrich Ehmes as CEO and announced the upcoming commercial availability of its Crystal Battery for applications, beginning with the aerospace sector. Dr. Ehmes, who has a long track record of industrializing battery production at companies such as Leclanché, will lead... Read more →

Lithium-sulfur batteries are prospects for future batteries as they are made from cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials than lithium-ion batteries. They also have higher energy storage capacity and work well at much lower temperatures. However, they suffer from short lifetimes and energy loss. A research group from Uppsala University... Read more →

Researchers at Drexel University have stabilized a rare monoclinic γ-sulfur phase within carbon nanofibers that enables successful operation of Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries in carbonate electrolyte for 4000 cycles. AN open-access paper on their work is published in Communications Chemistry. Carbonates are known to adversely react with the intermediate polysulfides and... Read more →

A University of Michigan team has shown that a network of aramid nanofibers, recycled from Kevlar, can enable lithium-sulfur batteries to overcome their Achilles heel of cycle life, delivering an estimated 1,000 real-world cycles. A paper on their work is published in Nature Communications. A diagram of the battery shows... Read more →

Australia-based Li-S Energy has entered into an agreement with Janus Electric to develop and to test lithium sulfur and/or lithium-metal battery cells to suit the requirements of the Janus Electric exchangeable prime mover battery packs. Janus Electric has developed a system to convert diesel powered prime mover fleets to electric... Read more →

Lyten, an advanced materials company, introduced its LytCell EV lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery platform. The technology is optimized for the electric vehicle market and is designed to deliver three times (3X) the gravimetric energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries. Lyten, which has just emerged from stealth mode, worked with the US... Read more →

Researchers from the Monash Energy Institute, with colleagues from CSIRO, have used a saccharide-based binder system to develop a durable sulfur cathode with minimal polysulfide escape in a lithium-sulfur battery. The saccharide-based binder system regulates polysulfides due to its reducing properties. The binder also promotes the formation of viscoelastic filaments... Read more →

UK-based OXIS Energy, a developer of Li-S battery technologies (earlier post), says it will deploy solid-state Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) cells and battery systems to its clients and partners worldwide by Autumn 2021 for use in trials, proof of concept and demonstrator battery systems for the Aviation, Marine, Defence and Heavy... Read more →

Scientists from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea, have found that a new catalyst material can improve lithium–sulfur battery life significantly. A paper on the work is published in the journal ChemSusChem. Unlike conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs), the Li-sulfur battery (LSB) reaction pathway leads to an accumulation of... Read more →

A team led by Professor Cheong Ying Chan at Hong Kong University Of Science And Technology (HKUST) Energy Institute, has proposed a novel cathode design concept for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery that substantially improves the performance of this kind of promising next-generation battery. A paper on their work is published in... Read more →

Yachts de Luxe (YdL) of Singapore has placed a commercial 10-year worldwide contract with OXIS Energy valued at $5 million to build the world’s first luxury boat to be powered by Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) battery cells and battery systems technology. The objective is to achieve a range between 70 and 100... Read more →

Scientists from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, have developed a novel silica-based cathode for lithium–sulfur batteries, thereby enabling the realization of batteries that can last for more than 2,000 charge/discharge cycles. The possibility of successfully using the unconventional silica could spark a paradigm shift in rechargeable... Read more →

OXIS Energy and the Minas Gerais Development Company CODEMGE have signed a 15-year lease agreement with Mercedes Benz Brazil (MBB) to take possession of a plant located at the MBB manufacturing site in Juiz de Fora in southeast Brazil to build a Li-sulfur battery manufacturing operation. NORDIKA Pharmaceutical of Brazil... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Texas have discovered that introducing tellurium (Te) into a Li-Sulfur system as a cathode additive significantly improves the reversibility of Li plating/stripping by forming a tellurized and sulfide-rich solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the Li surface. The introduction of Te as a cathode additive in... Read more →

Researchers led by Prof. Jian Liu and Prof.Zhongshuai Wu from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed Fe1-xS-decorated mesoporous carbon spheres as a cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. Fe1−xS‐NC has a high specific surface area (627 m2 g−1), large pore volume (0.41... Read more →

Researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan have developed an active sulfur material and carbon nanofiber (S-CNF) composite material for all-solid-state Li-sulfur batteries using a low-cost and straightforward liquid phase process. In a paper published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials, they report that in an all-solid-state Li–S... Read more →

OXIS Energy has successfully tested its Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery cell prototypes at 471Wh/kg and is confident of achieving 500Wh/kg in the next 12 months. Consistently shipping cells at 400Wh/kg to its clients in Europe, the US and Japan, OXIS is collaborating with major European chemical partners to develop an advanced... Read more →

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a high-capacity, long-life lithium-sulfur battery using a bi-functional cathode substrate for Li–S batteries made of well-distributed boron carbide nanoparticles decorated activated cotton fiber (B4C-ACF). Long-term cycling test results of Li–S battery with S/B4C-ACF electrode at 1 C. Zhang... Read more →

Researchers at IBM and Daimler AG have used a quantum computer to model the dipole moment of three lithium-containing molecules, with an eye on moving closer to next-generation lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries. In a research paper published on arXiv.org, the researchers report simulating the ground state energies and the dipole... Read more →

An international team of researchers led by Monash University has developed an ultra-high capacity Li-S battery that has better performance and less environmental impact than current lithium-ion products. An open-access paper on their work is published in Science Advances. Lithium-sulfur batteries can displace lithium-ion by delivering higher specific energy. Presently,... Read more →

A team at the University of Manchester (UK) has developed a doped graphene cathode for highly stable lithium-sulfur batteries. In an open access paper in the Nature journal Communications Chemistry, they report 100% charge capacity of Li-S batteries using the cathode material with 500 charge/discharge cycles at 0.5 C, 1... Read more →

Researchers at Zhengzhou University, Tsinghua University and Stanford University have developed a solid-electrolyte-based liquid Li-S and Li-Se (SELL-S and SELL-Se, respectively) battery system with the potential to deliver energy densities exceeding 500 Wh kg-1 and and 1,000 Wh L-1, together with the ability of low-cost and stable electrochemical performance for... Read more →

To develop higher capacity batteries, researchers have looked to lithium-sulfur batteries because of sulfur’s high theoretical capacity and energy density. There are still several problems to solve before lithium-sulfur batteries can be put into widespread practical application—such as sulfur’s intrinsically low electrical conductivity and the rapid capacity decay caused by... Read more →

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) with colleagues at Gyeongsang National University (Korea) have used an ionic liquid (Py1,4TFSI) as an electrolyte additive to enable longer cycle-life of Li/S batteries. By tuning the concentration of the ionic liquid (IL), they demonstrated an enhanced stability of the SEI and lower... Read more →

A team of researchers from China and Germany have used azulene—a benzene-free and vinyl-free molecule—to polymerize with sulfur to create a cathode material for Li-S batteries. As described in an open-access paper in the RSC journal Chemical Communications,the polymer exhibits high sulfur content and offers longer lifetime stability compared to... Read more →

OXIS Energy will establish the first manufacturing plant for the production of electrolyte and cathode active material specifically for the mass production of lithium sulfur cells. The plant will be built at the Kenfig Industrial Estate Port Talbot in Wales. OXIS has signed a 15-year lease with United UK Real... Read more →

Researchers at Beihang University in Beijing have developed a linear molecule sulfur-rich organic material as sulfur cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery. The tetramethylthiuram disulfide-sulfur (TMTD-S) cathode material delivers an initial capacity of 685 mAh g−1 at 0.2C (1 C = 1061 mAh g−1) and maintains the capacity at 540 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. Furthermore, when... Read more →

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a free-standing reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) aerogel for use as a supporting electrode for the electrochemical redox reaction of sulfur in a catholyte-based lithium-sulfur battery. A mesoporous matrix is formed by a layers of r-GO, providing sites for electrochemical reactions and... Read more →

Researchers at MIT and in China are proposing a new class of dense intercalation-conversion hybrid cathodes by combining intercalation-type Mo6S8 with conversion-type sulfur (HMSC) to realize a Li–S full cell. In a paper in Nature Energy, the researchers report that the mechanically hard Mo6S8 with fast Li-ion transport ability, high... Read more →

PolyPlus Battery Company a privately-held company focused on the development of the first rechargeable Li metal battery with a ionically conductive glass separator, has entered into the first stage of a joint development agreement with SK Innovation Co. Ltd., Korea’s first and largest energy and chemical company. SK selected PolyPlus... Read more →

OXIS Energy Ltd UK has signed a contract with CODEMGE PARTICIPACOES SA, a public company incorporated in the city of Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to establish the world’s first digital manufacturing plant for the mass production of OXIS’ lithium-sulfur cells. OXIS Energy Brazil Holdings will... Read more →

A KAIST research team has developed ultra-stable, high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) by using hierarchically porous titanium nitride (h-TiN) as a sulfur host. In a paper in the journal Advanced Materials, the researchers report that h-TiN/S shows a reversible capacity of 557 mAh g−1 even after 1000 cycles at 5 C... Read more →

Safran acquired an equity interest in Li-Sulfur battery manufacturer OXIS Energy (earlier post) through its Safran Corporate Ventures subsidiary, which invests in disruptive technology businesses. OXIS Energy, a leader in lithium-sulfur cell technology for high energy density battery systems, has already been granted 173 patents with 96 pending. Benefiting from... Read more →

Researchers from Tsinghua University and China University of Geosciences have used an ultrathin indium sheet to construct a stabilized lithium-rich hybrid anode with fast interfacial ion transport. The artificial alloy layer demonstrates an enhanced ionic conductivity with an order of magnitude higher than that of the pristine solid electrolyte interphase.... Read more →

Researchers at Jiangsu Normal University in China have devised a boron-doped carbon-sulfur (BCS) aerogel with consecutive “core-shell” stuctures as a binder-free cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries. In an open-access paper in the RSC journal Chemical Communications, they report achieving a high specific capacity of 1326 mAh/g, long cycling lifespan and a... Read more →

A team of researchers in China has devised a simple and mass-produceable method to modify a Li metal anode to avoid the formation of an unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the subsequent growth of Li dendrites in high-energy-density Li-S batteries. A paper on their work is published in the... Read more →

The €7.9-million (US$8.9-million), 43-month Lithium Sulfur for Safe Road Electrification (LISA) project will launch 1 January 2019 in Europe. The overall goal is to design and manufacture a lithium-sulfur technology that will enable safe electrification of EV applications. The partners involved in the LISA project are LEITAT (co-ordinators), OXIS Energy... Read more →

Lithium-chalcogen batteries—e.g., lithium-sulfur (Li-S) and lithium selenium (Li-Se) systems— are promising candidates for high energy electrical storage solution. Earlier this year, a team of researchers at the General Motors Research and Development Center in Warren, MI, with colleagues at Optimal CAE and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), reported demonstrating a... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are proposing a novel approach to suppress the “polysulfide shuttle” in Li-S batteries—a freestanding, three-dimensional graphene/1T MoS2 (3DG/TM) heterostructure with highly efficient electrocatalysis for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Cells with 3DG/TM exhibit outstanding electrochemical performance, with a high reversible discharge capacity of 1181... Read more →

Researchers from Western University, Canadian Light Source, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a novel solid-phase Li-S transformation mechanism that enables high energy Li-S batteries in conventional Li-ion carbonate electrolytes. An open-access paper on their work is published in Nature Communications. Schematic of a lithium sulfur battery in... Read more →

Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a gel-like electrolyte induced by fumed alumina for dendrite-free Li deposition, lower over-potential and better cycle stability in lithium-sulfur batteries. An open-access paper on their work is published in the RSC journal Chemical Communications. The Li-S@pPAN cells with the proposed electrolyte exhibit... Read more →

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, despite their high theoretical specific energy, face practical challenges including polysulfide shuttling and low cell-level energy density. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have now shown that the lightweight superconductor MgB2 (magnesium diboride)—the average mass/atom of which is comparable with carbon—as a metallic sulfur host fulfills both... Read more →

The Rice University lab of chemist James Tour has shown that thin nanotube films effectively stop dendrites that grow naturally from unprotected lithium metal anodes in batteries. A paper on their work is published in the journal Advanced Materials. Here, it is shown that lithiated multiwall carbon nanotubes (Li‐MWCNTs) act... Read more →

Researchers in Drexel’s College of Engineering report the ability of stabilized titanium monoxide (TiO) nanoparticles in nanofibers to support high conductivity and to bind polysulfides in Li-S batteries. Their paper is published in the ACS journal Applied Materials & Interfaces. The developed 3-D TiO/CNF architecture with the inherent inter-fiber macropores... Read more →

Researchers at Changchun University of Science and Technology in China have developed a nanobox strategy to improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. A paper on their work appears in the Journal of Power Sources. Li–S batteries theoretically offer a specific energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1—five times than the commercial... Read more →

OXIS Energy UK has achieved 425 Wh/kg on a High Energy 16Ah pouch Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) cell design for HAPS applications (High Altitude Pseudo Satellites) and expects to achieve 450Wh/kg at cell level by the end of 2018. OXIS aims to reach 500Wh/kg by the end of 2019 through its... Read more →

Although rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries promise high energy density storage—particularly attractive for electric vehicle applications—the technology is currently limited by the shuttling polysulfides between the battery’s electrodes. Polysulfides deteriorate the lithium side of the battery and reduce its ability to hold charge. Now, Mohamed Alkordi at Zewail City of Science... Read more →

A team of researchers from institutions in China and the US report the design of a negatively charged graphene composite separator for the effective suppression of the polysulfide shuttling effect in Li-sulfur batteries. The negatively charged 3D porous structure effectively inhibits the translocation of negatively charged polysulfide ions to enable... Read more →

Although Li metal anode are a promising enabler for high-energy-density next-generation battery systems, practical applications are severely hindered by low efficiency and potential safety hazards, largely due to the high reactivity of metallic Li toward liquid electrolytes. Now, a team of researchers at Stanford University has demonstrated the use of... Read more →

Purdue engineers have used upcycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic to boost the lifespan of lithium-sulfur batteries. They first prepared porous sulfonated carbon (PSC) from LDPE plastic via microwave-promoted sulfonation. The microwave process not only boosts the sulfonation reaction of LDPE but also induces huge amounts of pores within the sulfonated... Read more →