Scientists Study Soap To Develop Longer Lasting Batteries

Localized high-concentration electrolytes were engineered by scientists at Idaho National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to address this challenge. They are made by mixing high concentrations of salt in solvent with another liquid called a diluent, which makes the electrolyte flow better so that the power of the battery can be maintained.

So far, in lab tests, this new type of electrolyte has shown promising results, but how it works and why has never been fully understood — putting a cap on how effective it can be and how it can be better developed. This is what the new study helps to address.

“The paper provides a unified theory to why this electrolyte works better and the key understanding of it came by finding that micelle-like structures form within this electrolyte — like they do with soap,” said Bin Li, a senior scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who worked on the study. “Here we see that the role of the soap or surfactant is played by the solvent that binds both the diluent and the salt, wrapping itself around the higher concentration salt in the center of the micelle.”

By understanding this, the researchers were able to break down the ratios and concentrations needed to bring about the optimal reactions for the batteries. This should help solve one of the main trouble points in engineering this electrolyte, which is finding the proper balance for the three ingredients. In fact, the work not only provides better guidelines for making localized high-concentration electrolytes that function, but for making ones that work even more effectively.

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory put the theory into action. Doing so, they found the theory, so far, holds up and helps to extend the life of lithium metal batteries. The team is excited to see what designs for localized high-concentration electrolytes come from their work but know significant progress remains to overcome the electrolyte design bottleneck for high-density batteries. Right now, they are amused that the secret may have been in something as mundane and everyday as soap.

“The concept of the micelle may be new for the electrolyte, but it’s actually very common for our daily life,” Qi said. “Now we have a theory, and we have guidelines to get interactions we want from the salt, the solvent and the diluent in the electrolyte, and what concentration they have to be at and how you mix them.”

Reference: Efaw CM, Wu Q, Gao N, et al. Localized high-concentration electrolytes get more localized through micelle-like structures. Nat Mater. 2023. doi: 10.1038/s41563-023-01700-3

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.