Demonstrating large-scale and high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

锂硫(Li-S)电池代表着最有前途的技术之一，它可以提高电池性能，超越锂离子电池(LIB)，摆脱对关键原材料的依赖，并使以前因能量重量比较低而无法访问的应用程序(如动力飞行)得以实现。目前的电池市场价值为1100亿美元(到2027年为424亿美元)。据估计，这一市场的三分之一用于重量关键型应用，这些应用约占全球碳排放的2%。锂-S电池是促进净零过渡和使这些重量关键技术通电的关键。由于缺乏可行的具有能量密度的正极材料来补充这些电池中使用的锂金属负极，锂-S电池的商业化一直受到阻碍。此外，还有几个因素阻碍了获得可行的锂-S电池的路线，包括活性物质损失、高电解液使用量和低硫转化率。这一切都导致了锂S电池容量低、寿命短。因此，迫切需要克服这些问题来使Li-S电池能够使用。在PI的ERC高级补助金的支持下，工作已经显示出一种新的正极主体LixMoS_2的变革性突破，用于关键原材料无Li-S电池。这次概念验证旨在采取必要的商业和技术步骤将这一创新商业化：演示我们的阴极的千克规模的制造，展示使用我们放大的正极材料的高性能的大型Li-S电池，为商业计划进行关键的市场评估，以及与行业和最终用户接触以进入市场。

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries represent one of the most promising technologies to advance battery performance beyond lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), to move away from the reliance of critical raw materials, and enable applications previously inaccessible due to poor energy to weight ratio such as powered flight. The current battery market is valued at $110 Bn ($424 Bn by 2027). It is estimated that a third of this market is for weight-critical applications which account for approximately 2 % of global carbon emissions. Li-S batteries are key to facilitating the net-zero transition and electrifying these weight-critical technologies.The commercialisation of Li-S batteries has been hindered by the lack of a viable cathode material with energy density to complement the Li-metal anode used in these cells. Furthermore, there are several factors which hinder the route to a viable Li-S battery including active material loss, high electrolyte use, and poor sulfur conversion. This all leads to low-capacity and short-lived Li- S batteries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to overcome these issued to enable Li-S batteries.Work supported by the PI's ERC Advanced Grant has shown a transformative breakthrough of a new cathode host; LixMoS2, for critical raw materials-free Li-S batteries. This remarkable cathode host has shown to solve key issues which have previously lingered during decades of research efforts, to enable high-energy and long-life Li-S batteries for the first time.This Proof of Concept aims to take essential commercial and technical steps to commercialise this innovation: demonstrate kilogram scale manufacturing of our cathode, demonstrate large-scale Li-S batteries with high-performance using our scaled-up cathode material, a critical market assessment for a business plan, and engagement with industry and end-user for a route-to-market.