Lithium-metal-battery promises 50 percent more power at lower costs

In practical terms, the new battery should enable a range of 600 kilometers with the same size, compared to the previous 400 kilometers - as is currently the case with the Tesla Model Y is currently the case. To achieve this, a mixture of lithium and metal is to be used instead of a lithium-graphite anode.

Production would be cheaper, the potential output would be significantly higher, but commercial use is not yet in sight. The reason for this is the highly reactive combination of an acidic electrolyte and the anode material.

Basically, various compounds are deposited on the anode, which gradually reduce the performance and service life. At Columbia University, New York City, these processes have been and will continue to be studied in detail.

Although it is fairly well known how the surface of the anode should be designed and what the electrolyte must do, the exact processes remain invisible. Lengthy test procedures and studies are necessary to test metals and battery designs.

With the help of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, also known as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which is also used for medical purposes, individual lithium ions are now to be observed precisely. The measurement method can be used to observe the migration of the charged particles through the surface of the anode. Chemical processes that influence the performance of the system become visible. This makes it possible to precisely identify where deposits occur and when they disappear.

In this way, it should be possible to find the optimum parameters much more quickly and directly in order to make lithium metal batteries competitive. Another battery technology would then perhaps even be able to overtake the lithium-ion battery.