Scientists at Washington State University have discovered a novel way to improve lithium-sulfur battery performance by using corn protein as a protective barrier. This could lead to lighter, more efficient batteries for electric vehicles.
Researchers at Washington State University have unveiled a new method to bolster the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries by incorporating corn protein as a protective barrier. This innovative approach holds the potential to revolutionize the battery industry, particularly for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.
Lithium-sulfur batteries are known for being lighter and more environmentally friendly compared to their lithium-ion counterparts. However, their commercial use has been stymied by several technological challenges that limit their lifespan. The WSU team’s study, recently published in the Journal of Power Sources, could pave the way for overcoming these hurdles.
By integrating corn protein with a commonly used plastic to create a protective barrier, the researchers significantly enhanced the battery’s performance.
“This work demonstrated a simple and efficient approach to preparing a functional separator for enhancing the battery’s performance,” co-corresponding author Katie Zhong, a professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, said in a news release. “The results are excellent.”
One of the key advantages of lithium-sulfur batteries is their high theoretical energy capacity, which means that smaller, lighter batteries can be used in various applications such as cars and airplanes.
Additionally, these batteries use sulfur for their cathodes, a material that is abundant, inexpensive and non-toxic, making it more eco-friendly. In contrast, lithium-ion batteries use metal oxides, including toxic heavy metals like cobalt or nickel.
The two main issues that have deterred the widespread adoption of lithium-sulfur batteries are the “shuttle effect” and the formation of lithium metal dendrites. The shuttle effect occurs when sulfur migrates to the lithium side, causing the battery to degrade quickly. Dendrites are needle-like structures that can cause short circuits.
The WSU researchers addressed these problems by using corn protein as a cover for the separator within the battery.
“Corn protein would make for a good battery material because it’s abundant, natural and sustainable,” added co-corresponding author Jin Liu, a professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
The protein’s amino acids interacted with the battery materials to enhance lithium ion movement and mitigate the shuttle effect.
The team also added a small amount of flexible plastic to the protein to improve its performance by flattening the naturally folded structure of the protein.
“The first thing we need to think about is how to open the protein, so we can use those interactions and manipulate the protein,” Liu added.
Graduate students Ying Guo, Pedaballi Sireesha and Chenxu Wang led the conceptual and practical work on this project.
Supported by both numerical studies and laboratory experiments, the findings show that the battery could maintain its charge over 500 cycles, a significant improvement from batteries lacking this protective corn barrier.
The research team is now focusing on further simulations to fine-tune the protein structure and identify the most effective amino acids.
“We need to do further simulation studies to identify which amino acids in the protein structure can work best for solving the critical shuttle effect and dendrite problems,” added Zhong.
The researchers aim to collaborate with industry partners to scale up the process for larger experimental batteries, extending the practical applications even further.
Source: Washington State University