So-called lithium-air batteries, likewise understood as lithium-oxygen batteries, are candidates for the next generation of high-energy electricity storage gadgets. Lithium-air batteries, likewise known as lithium-oxygen batteries, are prospects for the next generation of high-energy electricity storage gadgets. Lithium-air batteries basically work in the exact same way as traditional battery types, however in this type of battery the response of lithium ions with oxygen from the air at the positive electrode is used to produce electrical power. In lithium-air batteries, one of the electrodes is made of metallic lithium while the other– called the gas diffusion electrode– consists of a porous network and performing material where oxygen (O2) from the air is lowered in an oxidation-reduction reaction. To increase the stability of the lithium-air battery, the task group aims to develop a membrane that separates the favorable electrode from the unfavorable electrode, hence enabling different electrolytes to be utilized on either side.
The AMaLiS 2.0 research study job, involving multiple organizations, is establishing a new idea to improve the stability and lifespan of lithium-air batteries by utilizing a membrane that separates the negative and favorable electrodes, enabling different electrolytes on each side. The objective is to develop a stable, rechargeable model using advanced products and membranes.
Research study project in Germany intends to improve the stability of this unique battery type.
So-called lithium-air batteries, likewise known as lithium-oxygen batteries, are prospects for the next generation of high-energy electrical power storage devices. The AMaLiS 2.0 research study project is checking a new idea to increase the stability and lifetime of the battery cells.
Lithium-air batteries, also called lithium-oxygen batteries, are candidates for the next generation of high-energy electrical energy storage gadgets. Their theoretical energy storage capability is 10 times that of traditional lithium-ion batteries of the very same weight, however they are not yet chemically steady enough to provide a reliable service. Now a recently introduced collective research study job in which a group from the University of Oldenburg led by chemist Professor Dr. Gunther Wittstock is participating is checking a brand-new concept to extend the life of these battery cells.
The job, entitled “Alternative products and elements for aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries: chemistry and stability of inactive components– AMaLiS 2.0”, is led by IOLITEC Ionic Liquids Technologies, a business based in Heilbronn, Germany. The MEET (Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology) Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen are also taking part. The task will receive around 1.1 million euros in financing from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research over a three-year period.
A lithium-air battery cell in front of a test bench. Credit: Fraunhofer IFAM
Lithium-air batteries essentially operate in the same way as conventional battery types, however in this kind of battery the response of lithium ions with oxygen from the air at the positive electrode is used to generate electricity. The big benefit is that lithium-air batteries can store almost as much energy per kilogram as nonrenewable fuel sources. This suggests that they have a comparable specific energy to todays batteries but weigh much less, which makes them appealing for use in electric cars and trucks along with in fixed energy storage. “However, before we get that far there are still a variety of technical issues to be fixed,” Wittstock underlines. Among these obstacles is the lack of electrolyte that are chemically steady at both the positive and the unfavorable electrode. These conductive fluids or solids are situated in the location between the two electrodes.
In lithium-air batteries, one of the electrodes is made of metal lithium while the other– called the gas diffusion electrode– consists of a permeable network and performing material where oxygen (O2) from the air is lowered in an oxidation-reduction reaction. When the battery is discharging, favorably charged lithium ions move across the electrolyte from one electrode to the gas diffusion electrode, where they integrate with oxygen and electrons from an external electrical circuit to form lithium oxide.
To increase the stability of the lithium-air battery, the task group intends to design a membrane that separates the positive electrode from the unfavorable electrode, hence enabling various electrolytes to be utilized on either side. “This would substantially expand the alternatives for electrolytes,” says IOLITECs project coordinator Dr Thomas Schubert. The researchers plan to evaluate a separator with an unique finishing on each side that safeguards both the lithium electrode and the gas diffusion electrode.
The Oldenburg group led by Wittstock is utilizing numerous techniques, including surface spectroscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), to examine the processes on the surfaces of the separator and electrodes. IOLITEC is developing the separating layer together with a team from MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster which is headed by Verena Küpers. “We are checking different coatings that are particularly adjusted to the obstacles postured by each type of electrode,” Küpers discusses.
The MEET team likewise performs test measurements. At the Fraunhofer IFAM, a team led by Dr. Daniela Fenske is developing a brand-new type of gas diffusion electrode made from nanostructured titanium carbide. “It will be integrated with a special membrane that avoids parasitic air parts such as co2 or water vapor from entering the cell,” Fenske describes. The scientists objective is to develop a prototype that proves that a stable, rechargeable system is achievable. For this, the building of a flat cell with an area of 25 square centimeters is prepared.
Financing is supplied under the grant number 03XP0521A-D as part of the “Batterie 2020 Transfer” program.
