A significant breakthrough in battery technology has emerged from China. Scientists have unveiled a water-based battery with nearly double the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. This innovation, detailed in a recent study in Nature Energy, could revolutionize the electric vehicle industry. It may also expand applications for large-scale energy storage.

The challenge of battery safety has long been a concern, particularly with lithium-ion batteries employing flammable electrolytes. This new aqueous battery was developed by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It uses a water-based electrolyte. This eliminates the safety risks associated with traditional options.

However, the Achilles’ heel of aqueous batteries has historically been their lower energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries. This restricted their usefulness to large-scale, stationary energy storage applications.

The CAS team tackled this hurdle by creating a novel electrolyte solution based on bromine and iodine. When researchers paired this solution with a cadmium-based anode in a test battery, it performed remarkably. The battery ran for over 300 charging and discharging cycles while maintaining 78% energy efficiency.

Further tests employing a vanadium anode revealed an even more impressive feat: a lifespan exceeding 1,000 cycles, showcasing exceptional stability.

The energy density of this water-based battery surpasses that of some solid electrode materials. This is according to the researchers.Additionally, they estimate the cost of their battery to be comparable to traditional lithium-ion batteries.

The study’s corresponding author, Li Xianfeng, is a professor at the CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. He expressed optimism about future applications of this technology. Li said, “Our work shows that safe aqueous batteries with high energy density are achievable,” in a statement released by the academy. “This opens doors for the development of next-generation batteries suitable for grid-scale energy storage and even electric vehicles.”

This groundbreaking research paves the way for a future powered by safer and more efficient energy storage solutions. The potential impact on electric vehicles and large-scale energy grids is significant, marking a major step forward in sustainable energy technology.