Researchers Make Progress on Lithium-Air Batteries

Researchers from Cambridge University say they have solved some of the technical challenges associated with lithium-air batteries, which have the potential to greatly increase the driving range of electric vehicles. Their work is detailed in the current issue of the journal Science.

Lithium-air cells can have as much as 10 times the energy density of current lithium-ion units. But to date, the chemistry has been unstable, inconsistent and prone to rapid performance declines.

The Cambridge team, led by chemistry professor Clare Grey, developed a patented production process that uses lithium peroxide instead of more volatile lithium hydroxide. Lithium iodide is added to the solution along with graphene, a form of carbon discovered 12 years ago at Manchester University.

The lithium-air battery demonstrated in the Cambridge lab is 90% efficient and can be recharged 2,000 times, according to the researchers. But they estimate it will take at least 10 years of work to refine the technology and make it viable for production vehicles.

The program is funded in partnership with the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the U.S. Dept. of Energy and various EU agencies. U.K.-based materials expert Johnson Matthey also is providing support.