Research Projects

The demand for high energy densities, cycle-life, fast-charging capabilities, and safety is increasing. Lithium-ion battery technologies (LIBs) currently dominate the automotive sector but have limited range, cyclability, long charging times, and are prone to thermal runaway, leading to fires and explosions. Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as potential alternatives, replacing the liquid electrolyte in conventional LIBs with a thermally stable solid-state electrolyte (SSE). These SSEs are less prone to thermal runaway events and can withstand larger currents, supporting fast-charging. However, typical SSB architectures are expensive due to their presence of rare-earth or scarce elements. Recently, Li batteries using sulphur as the cathode active material have been investigated, which can theoretically deliver high specific capacities of 1675 mAh/g and gravimetric energy densities of 2567 Wh.kg/1. This has the potential to significantly reduce battery prices. To fabricate thin SSEs with good mechanical strength and ionic conductivity, composites of sulphide-type SSEs like Li6PS5Cl with organic polymers are proposed. The fully reduced Li3P has significantly higher Li-ion conductivity at room temperature than Li2S and LiCl. The study will investigate modification in terminal groups of the polymers used to form the composites and application of interfacial layers to realize a Li3P-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the Li metal anode side.