[Research Report] Self-standing GMS membrane as Lithium-Air Battery Cathode balances high capacity with longevity

New research results on Graphene MesoSponge^® (GMS), a next-generation carbon material that 3DC plans to mass-produce, have been published from Nishihara Laboratory.

3DC is the university start-up company that aims to commercialize GMS, which was invented at the Nishihara Laboratory (Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University). Currently, some patents related to GMS have been transferred from Tohoku University to 3DC.

Lithium-air batteries are next-generation storage batteries that are expected to achieve energy densities many times higher than current lithium-ion batteries. However, lithium-air batteries have a major problem: they cannot be repeatedly charged and discharged due to severe degradation of the carbon cathode, lithium anode, and electrolyte.

In this study, we manufactured a self-standing GMS membrane using the scheme shown in Figure 1. The use of this membrane as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries enabled electrode design based on the following three considerations:

• Ensuring abundant pore volume to achieve high capacity
• Reducing the weight of the battery by eliminating the stacking of graphene layers
• Improving cycle life by removing edge sites

The research team successfully achieved an unprecedented combination of ultra-high capacity and extended cycle life with the above electrode design. Based on these results, it can be said that “GMS represents an ideal form of carbon cathode”.

The results of this study were published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials on November 10, 2023 (local time).

Please see below for details.
①Paper
Hierarchically Porous and Minimally Stacked Graphene Cathodes for High-Performance Lithium–Oxygen Batteries
②Press release from Tohoku University
リチウム空気電池用カーボン正極の高容量とサイクル寿命の両立に成功 ～重さがリチウムイオン電池の数分の１になる次世代畜電池実用化に期待～