German researchers develop record-breaking lithium metal cell

A new study published in the journal Joule makes the case for a record-breaking lithium metal battery that offers extremely high energy density of 560 watt-hours per kilogram – based on the total weight of the active materials – with remarkably good stability.

The battery is being developed by researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology who have used a promising combination of cathode and electrolyte: a nickel-rich cathode allows a lot of energy per mass to be stored and an ionic liquid electrolyte ensures that the capacity is largely retained over many charging cycles.

In detail, the scientists are using a low-cobalt, nickel-rich layered cathode (NCM88), which provides high energy density. The element, thus, substitutes the commonly used commercially available organic electrolyte (LP30), whose