New concept for lithium-air batteries

In the research project AmaLiS (Alternative Materials and Components for Aprotic Lithium/Oxygen Batteries), the University of Oldenburg, Germany is testing a new concept to increase the lifetime of lithium-air batteries. Lithium-air batteries can theoretically achieve an energy density of 11.14 kilowatt-hours per kilogram, but so far they have not been chemically stable enough. One problem is that there are as yet no electrolyte fluids that are stable at both the positive and negative electrodes. To increase the stability of the lithium-air battery, the team led by chemist Professor Gunther Wittstock is now relying on a separating membrane between the positive and negative electrodes so that different electrolytes can be used on both sides.
Other participants are the MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research IFAM in Bremen. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project over three years with a total of around 1.1 million euros.
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