Scientists make game-changing breakthrough that could revolutionize electric vehicles: 'This discovery suggests a new way to design'

A scientific breakthrough has led researchers to discover a new and improved method for creating safer lithium-ion batteries, revolutionizing the future of electric vehicles and mobile devices.

According to the University of Texas at Dallas, researchers found a way to create a new layer between two materials wherein charged particles — known as ions — accumulate. The scientists call this area the "space charge layer," and it essentially forms by mixing small particles between two solid electrolytes.

Published in ACS Energy Letters, the study reveals how the space charge layer makes it easier for ions to move, which can improve a battery's performance.

Laisuo Su, assistant professor of materials science and engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and a co-corresponding author of the study, explained the significance of the findings.

"This discovery suggests a new way to design better solid electrolytes by carefully choosing materials that interact in a way that enhances ionic movement, potentially leading to better-performing solid-state batteries," Su said.

Currently, lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes instead of solid electrolytes. This small difference actually has a significant impact, as liquid electrolytes are flammable. As a result, using solid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries offers consumers a safer product.

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According to Su, however, the batteries would also be more efficient, "generating and storing more than twice as much power as batteries with liquid electrolytes."

Moving forward, the researchers still need to learn more about solid-state batteries. Moving ions through solid materials rather than liquid is much more challenging and thus the process still requires fine-tuning. Nevertheless, this new study provides a crucial step in the right direction for improving lithium-ion batteries.

"Su and fellow researchers plan to continue to study how the composition and structure of the interface leads to greater ionic conductivity," according to the news release.

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