Researchers in Korea claim to have developed a lithium-air battery that has a 300km driving range in an electric vehicle.
The team from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) university has developed a cathode made from nickel cobalt sulphide nanoflakes placed on a porous graphene that was doped with sulphur.
The study was published in the journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.
DGIST chemist Sangaraju Shanmugam and his colleagues focused their research on improving the capacity of lithium-air batteries to catalyse the reactions between lithium ions and oxygen to facilitate the cycling process.
The reactions between lithium ions and oxygen happen at the cathode in a lithium-air battery.
The study revealed the different-sized pores in the graphene and the nickel cobalt sulphide catalyst flakes provided a large amount of space for the chemical reactions to occur. The flakes also form a protective layer that makes for a more robust electrode.
Finally, doping the graphene with sulphur and the interconnectivity of its pores improved the transportation of electrical charges in the battery.
The team now plan to work on understanding the discharge/charge behaviours of the electrodes and its surface characteristics.
“Once we’ve secured the core technologies of all parts of the battery and combined them, it will be possible to start manufacturing prototypes,” says Shanmugam.
