Dive Brief:

• Researchers from the University of Maryland and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory say they have devised a "groundbreaking" water-in-salt aqueous lithium ion technology that could be as effective as modern batteries but without safety concerns, Smart Grid News reports. 
• The scientists said they were able to increase the electrochemical potential of the batteries, "showing for the first time that aqueous batteries could seriously compete in terms of power and energy density with the non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries."
• The batteries could have a variety of applications in mobile devices as well as for the military; the research was published this month in the journal Science.

Dive Insight:

"Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." 

Emerson didn't really say it, but the sentiment applies to both rodent control and batteries. Scientists around the world are racing to develop more efficient batteries to power energy needs from cell phones to utility microgrids. And researchers from the University of Maryland and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory say they have taken a serious step forward in lithium ion technology.

“What's most important about our work is the breakthrough made at the fundamental level,” said UMD Postdoctoral Research Associate Liumin Suo, who authored the research published by Science. “Prior to this work no one thought it possible to form [a Solid Electrolyte Interphase] in water-based [batteries], but we demonstrated that it can happen.”

The researchers said the technology could be particularly useful in applications that involve large amounts of energy such as electric vehicles, or grid-storage devices for energy harvest systems. There are also advantages in applications where battery safety and toxicity are primary concerns. 

The researchers say they were able to increase the "electrochemical window of aqueous electrolyte from less than 1.5 Volts to ~ 3.0 Volts and demonstrated high voltage aqueous full Lithium-ion cell with 2.3 Volts, showing for the first time that aqueous batteries could seriously compete in terms of power and energy density."

Edward Shaffer, who heads the Army Research Laboratory’s Energy and Power Division, said the advantages over current batteries “could lead to thermally, chemically and environmentally safer batteries carried and worn by soldiers; safe, reduced-footprint energy storage for confined spaces, particularly submarines; and novel hybrid power solutions for military platforms and systems.”

Swiss researchers also recently announced they were working to develop a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion batteries and had hit upon a combination of components they say offers a similar energy density at a lower price. Published in October in the American Chemical Society's Chemistry of Materials, the research highlights a low-cost battery created using sodium and magnesium, which could help utility-scale storage become widespread at cheaper price points.