Researchers led by Case Western have announced a major advancement in zinc-sulfur battery technology, which could revolutionize energy storage by providing safer, more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to lithium-ion batteries.
In a transformative study published in Angewandte Chemie, researchers led by Case Western Reserve University unveiled a significant advancement in zinc-sulfur battery technology. This development could pave the way for safer, more sustainable and cost-effective energy storage solutions, potentially replacing the ubiquitous but problematic lithium-ion batteries.
“This research marks a major step forward in the development of safer and more sustainable energy storage solutions,” principal investigator Chase Cao, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Case School of Engineering, said in a news release. “Aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries offer the potential to power a wide range of applications — from renewable energy systems to portable electronics — with reduced environmental impact and reliance on scarce materials.”
Modern lithium-ion batteries, which are essential for powering everything from electric vehicles to portable electronics, have significant downsides. They are expensive, complicated to manufacture and rely on relatively rare materials, which can pose environmental and ethical issues.
Zinc-sulfur batteries, conversely, use more abundant and less expensive materials, presenting a more sustainable option.
However, the commercial viability of zinc-sulfur batteries has been stifled historically due to issues like zinc-anode corrosion, low conductivity and dendrite growth. These dendrites can cause short-circuits, leading to battery failure or even fires.
Cao’s team has tackled these challenges head-on. By introducing two key additives — propylene glycol methyl ether and zinc-iodide — the researchers achieved remarkable improvements. The additives enhanced the energy capacity by 20%, improved conductivity and stability and inhibited the formation of zinc dendrites.
“These additives not only enhance battery efficiency but also address long-standing safety concerns by mitigating dendrite formation,” added co-senior author Guiyin Xu, a professor at Donghua University in Shanghai. “The result is a compact, higher-density battery that can recharge more times without significant degradation.”
The enhanced zinc-sulfur batteries offer higher energy density than their lithium-ion counterparts. This means they can be smaller and longer-lasting, which could be revolutionary for renewable energy storage and high-demand devices that require reliability and efficiency.
Cao’s research is particularly interested in applications for novel soft robotics and advanced sensing systems, which demand high-capacity, durable batteries. For example, biologically inspired swimming robots require lightweight, enduring batteries to complete lengthy missions successfully.
As the director of the Soft Machines and Electronics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve, Cao is also extending this battery technology to other innovative fields, including space exploration, farming and the removal of space debris.
Collaboratively conducted with researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, this groundbreaking work underscores the global effort to find safer, sustainable energy solutions.