A new report in South China Morning Post appears to herald a remarkable breakthrough at Chinese Academy of Sciences. Researchers there say they have produced a water battery with almost twice the energy of a traditional lithium one. Will this new water-based battery open the gate for aqueous batteries in electric vehicles we wondered, as we scrolled through the report.
Why the Need for a New Water-Based Lithium Battery?
The electrolyte in a lithium battery plays a keynote role of transporting ions between cathode and anode. Lithium salt is the commonest material used for this purpose, but it bursts unto flame and explodes if it overheats.
Water based aqueous electrolytes are the theoretical answer to this problem, because the liquid cannot burn if it overheats. However, to date this solution has not taken off because such batteries hold far less energy.
Many scientists have followed the alternative of solid electrolyte sodium-ion batteries instead. Such electrolytes also cannot catch fire. But China has access to huge lithium reserves it would naturally like to use.
What The Chinese Academy of Sciences Team Discovered
The Academy of Sciences team decided to follow the route of a more powerful lithium aqueous battery. They knew their water-based electrolyte should at least match the power storage density of the traditional lithium salt alternative, to be of interest commercially.
The researchers came up with what they refer to as a ‘highly concentrated hetero-halogen electrolyte’ based on iodine and bromine. They claim the following advantages as relayed by South China Morning Post on May 4, 2024:
- An energy density of 1,200 watt-hours per liter, being the total it can store.
- Traditional non-aqueous lithium batteries deliver 700 watt-hours at most per liter.
More Insight Into the New Water-Based Battery
The new water-based battery from China Academy of Sciences adds an interesting tweak by using two active ingredients, namely iodine and bromine. This suggests the possibility of a multi-electron energy transfer, which could account for the impressive energy storage.
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