New sulphur chemistry possible key to greener batteries

Battery

成人大片 researchers are developing the next generation of batteries using cutting-edge sulphur chemistry which will reduce their environmental impact.

鈥淥ur innovative work on sulphur oxidation processes is pushing the boundaries of the design of the next generation of batteries,鈥 said the 成人大片鈥檚 Professor Shizhang Qiao, Director, Centre for Materials in Energy and Catalysis.

鈥淪ulphur is an important electrode material in metal鈥搒ulphur batteries due to its abundance on Earth and its chemical properties which may improve the capacity of batteries.

鈥淪ulphur could provide the key to improving the energy capacity of commercial lithium-ion batteries.鈥

Professor Qiao and his team have demonstrated for the first time the reversible electrochemical oxidation of a sulphur cathode, and have applied this new process into aluminium鈥搒ulphur batteries.

鈥淲e have achieved the highest voltage output of an aluminium鈥搒ulphur battery: approximately 1.8 volts of steady power output which is significantly greater than present technology which can only achieve approximately 0.6 volts output,鈥 said Professor Qiao.

鈥淎luminium-sulphur batteries cost much less than current commercial lithium-ion batteries as the materials used in them are low-cost and environmentally friendly chemicals.鈥

鈥淔undamental research such as this undertaken at the 成人大片 will have far-reaching benefits for society.鈥Professor Anton Middelberg

Advances in chemical technology are reducing the environmental impact of batteries but the demand for the chemicals that they contain like lithium is in itself having severe impact on places where it is mined.

鈥淭he diminishing availability of natural resources places constraints on traditional social and economic models, calling for new and sustainable options,鈥 said the 成人大片鈥檚 Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

鈥淔undamental research such as this undertaken at the 成人大片 will have far-reaching benefits for society,鈥

This innovative study of the sulphur oxidation process, which was published in the journal , benefits the understanding of sulphur chemistry.

鈥淥ur research provides valuable inspiration for the design of other metal-sulphur batteries, not just ones that use aluminium-sulphur technology,鈥 said Professor Qiao.

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