Korea University Unveils Next-Generation High-Capacity Lithium-Sulfur Battery with Extended Lifespan
KU (President Kim Dong-one) has developed a high-capacity lithium-sulfur battery with a long lifespan through the development of an increase in energy density compared to conventional batteries.
Lithium-sulfur batteries can achieve an energy density two to three times higher than that of existing lithium-ion batteries, and are drawing attention due to the abundance and low price of sulfur, which they incorporate as a cathode material.
Lithium-sulfur batteries operate on the basis of conversion occurring between sulfur and lithium sulfide during charging and discharging. However, the lithium sulfide that is generated during the discharging process covers the carbon surface, preventing electricity from flowing. This causes the deterioration of battery performance, for the same reason that electricity may not flow when a wire is covered with an insulator.
To address this problem, Professor Moon Jun-hyuk’s group, comprised of personnel from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the School of Smart Mobility at KU, included niobium oxide (Nb2O5) in the cathode as a method of controlling the interfacial energy so that lithium sulfide may be formed based on minimum contact with the carbon surface. The lithium-sulfur batteries which incorporate the cathode developed by the research group achieved a sulfur utilization rate of 90% or more and a cathode capacity of about 10 mAh/cm2 (twice the cathode capacity of lithium ion batteries).
Professor Moon, the corresponding author, said, “We presented a simple solution based on the cathode mechanism, and we look forward to contributing to the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries.”
The results of the study were published on Thursday July 18 in Energy Storage Materials (IF: 20.4), a globally renowned journal in the field of energy-related materials, and the study was supported by the Samsung Research Funding & Incubation Center of Samsung Electronics.