Scientists make intriguing breakthrough in battery technology using laser pulses: 'A critical research subject'

Lasers are used to perform precise surgeries and have been the weapon of choice for fictional supervillains. Now, experts from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology are using the beams to build advanced batteries, according to a news release. 

The laser-printing technique has shown potential to accelerate the production of lithium-sulfur packs, a lithium-ion alternative being worked on in labs around the world. 

Advantages include more energy storage per pound. Sulfur is also nontoxic and is acquired at a lower cost compared to metals used in common batteries. But a shorter lifespan, poor conductivity, and degrading volume expansion have been hurdles, all according to Chinese battery maker UFine. The company isn't involved with the Hong Kong project. 

University experts have already advanced their laser technique with a simplified approach to make sulfur-based cathodes for pouch and coin cell packs. Ions move between the anode and cathode inside cells during charge/discharge cycles. Current cathode production includes a complex process with varied temperatures. It can be costly and time-consuming, sometimes lasting several days. Laser pulses used as part of a single-step method are showing promise as a much shorter replacement, all per the release.  

The process involves sulfur, a porous carbon layer, and halloysite-based hybrid nanotubes, serving as the active material, the conducting material, and the host, respectively. The parts are laser printed on a "fabric acceptor," which has "demonstrated outstanding performance in … lithium-sulfur cells," the report added. 

"Our … technology offers a way to combine these processes into a single step at nanosecond speeds," assistant professor Mitch LI Guijun, who developed the technique, said. 

A video clip shared by Hong Kong shows a robotic arm moving the rectangular-shaped fabric, which then gets peppered with laser pulses. A pouch cell can be made in 20 minutes and can power a small screen, according to the release. 

Project first author Yang Rongliang summed up the "thermal phenomenon" caught on camera: "The irradiated materials undergo a complex transient heating and cooling process, with … temperatures reaching up to thousands of degrees Kelvin. The precursor materials decompose, and the decomposed particles recombine to form new materials." 

Lasers are involved in fascinating tech outside of batteries, as well. Seattle's Carbon Robotics has created a farm machine called LaserWeeder that selectively torches 100,000 weeds an hour with help from artificial intelligence. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, experts are using lasers to turn planet-warming carbon dioxide into cleaner synthetic fuels. 

It's all part of the way we can use technology to aid the shift to a planet-friendly future. Reduced air pollution will help almost everyone, as the World Health Organization reported that 99% of the population breathes poor air that increases risks for respiratory and other health problems.  

Should the U.S. invest more in battery innovations? Absolutely Depends on the project We're investing enough We should invest less Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

An easy way to help, part of an overall strategy to save money and cut air pollution at home, is to simply unplug the chargers and devices you aren't using. The energy vampires suck up loads of power, and you can bank $165 annually by pulling the plug. 

In Hong Kong, the team is confident that its research is based in a critical sector needed to power the future. The sulfur chemistry is also being eyed by vehicle-making juggernaut Stellantis to improve electric vehicle performance, as an example of another effort that could soon make a real-world difference, Reuters reported. 

"The growing energy demands of modern society have made rechargeable batteries a critical research subject," the university's experts said in an abstract published by Nature.

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