Lithium sulphur compound could enable solid state Li-ion batteries

Despite advances in battery technology, developers continue to look to chemistries which bring greater storage capacity, more charge/discharge cycles and improved safety in order to meet the energy needs of leading edge consumer products. Solid state lithium-ion batteries are one strand of battery research, meeting the safety, operational life span and thermal stability criteria. Viktor Epp, from Graz University of Technology's Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Materials, has been researching Li₆PS₅Br as part of his doctoral thesis The basic principle of electrochemical energy storage in a lithium-ion battery see ions moving between both poles and passing through structurally different materials. In a solid state lithium-ion battery, a conductive solid is required to act as an electrolyte. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy equipment at the university's Christian-Doppler Laboratory, Epp discovered the lithium ions in the compound exhibit extremely high mobility at room temperature, confirming that Li₆PS₅Br could be a candidate for use in solid state batteries. Pictured, courtesy of TU Graz/ICTM, is a test cell for the technology.