Lithium-ion batteries today struggle to reach an energy density of 300 Wh per kilogram. That’s too low for the long range electric vehicles many drivers crave, or for applications that require high power with low weight, such as aircraft.
The devices boast a gravimetric energy density of 711.3 Wh/kg and a volumetric energy density of 1653.65 Wh/L, both of which are the highest in rechargeable lithium batteries based on an intercalation-type cathode, Li tells“With respect to the battery manufacture, our extremity battery structure design was tailored to minimize the usage of auxiliary materials while enhancing the proportion of active materials in the entire battery,” he adds.
“This is achieved through the use of high performance battery materials including a high capacity lithium rich manganese based cathode and a thin lithium metal anode with high specific energy, combined with extremely advanced process technologies such as high-loading electrode preparation and lean electrolyte injection.
“For instance, it offers insights into how to balance safety and other important factors in high energy density batteries, which will help in the practical realization of high energy density batteries in the future. Research on batteries with energy densities approaching theoretical limits will also help improve our knowledge of solid-state ionics and solid-state electrochemistry, allowing perhaps for technological innovation in new materials and battery systems.