With the increasing global demand for high-energy-density and long-life batteries, all-solid-state battery technology is becoming a research hotspot in the field of new energy. On January 16, 2025, the team of Professor Pang Quanquan from the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Peking University published a breakthrough research result in the top international academic journal Nature - a new all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery. This battery not only achieves a cycle life of more than 25,000 cycles, but also has the ability to charge quickly in minutes. The launch of this technology not only provides a new technical path for the future development of power batteries, but also brings great potential for change in multiple application fields such as electric vehicles, low-altitude flight, and high-end electronic equipment.
Technological innovation: from material design to performance breakthroughs
One of the biggest challenges faced by traditional all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries in applications is the low reaction rate and short cycle life of the battery. In particular, the low conductivity of the sulfur cathode and the side reaction of the electrolyte during the charging process limit the cycling performance and charging speed of the battery. In order to solve these problems, Professor Pang Quanquan's team proposed innovative material design and chemical mechanisms.
By introducing redox-active iodine, the team designed and synthesized a novel glass-phase sulfide electrolyte material (LBPSI, i.e., Li₂S\u2012B₂S₃\u2012P₂S₅\u2012LiI). This electrolyte not only acts as a superionic conductor inside the sulfur cathode, but also activates a two-phase interface reaction that is difficult to carry out in conventional batteries through the redox-mediated effect of iodine. This innovation significantly improves the reaction rate and cycling stability of the battery, laying the foundation for the high performance of all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries.
Experimental results show that the new all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery can release a specific capacity of up to 1497 mAh/g at 2C rate, and its capacity can still reach 784 mAh/g even at 20C ultra-high rate charging. In addition, the prototype battery was able to maintain 80.2% of its initial capacity after 25,000 cycles at 5C at 25°C. Compared with the existing lithium-ion batteries, this performance is undoubtedly a breakthrough, especially in the future to achieve the goal of minute-level fast charging and 10,000 cycles, showing great potential.
Figure: Problems of traditional all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries and the mechanism of rapid solid-solid sulfur conversion in this study
Research Significance and Application Prospects
The innovative breakthrough of Professor Pang Quanquan's team not only solves some technical bottlenecks of traditional all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries, but also opens up new ideas for the future development of battery technology. This study demonstrates how the side reactions faced by conventional batteries can be transformed into favorable redox-mediated reactions through material and chemical mechanism design, providing a new technical architecture. This design idea is similar to the development of autonomous vehicles: intelligent technology not only solves traditional requirements, but also greatly improves performance and user experience.
From the perspective of application prospects, the new all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery can play a huge potential in many fields due to its high specific energy, high safety and long life. In the field of electric vehicles, for example, this technology is expected to significantly improve range and significantly reduce charging times. According to the analysis of Tianfeng Securities, all-solid-state batteries, as the core iteration of lithium battery technology, will play an important role in emerging fields such as low-altitude economy and high-end consumer electronics.
In addition, the use of such batteries in low-altitude vehicles and high-end electronic devices can also provide more efficient and reliable energy solutions, helping these industries to increase energy density, extend equipment life, and improve overall performance. With the rise of the low-altitude economy and the increasing demand for high-efficiency power batteries, the large-scale application of all-solid-state batteries will become a key development direction in the future.
Industry Impact and Commercialization Challenges
Although the Peking University team has made a major breakthrough in all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery technology, it still faces some challenges from laboratory research to large-scale commercial application. First of all, the technical difficulty required for large-scale production of all-solid-state batteries is relatively difficult, and how to ensure the consistency and stability in the production process is still an important research direction. In addition, although all-solid-state batteries theoretically have higher energy density and longer lifespan, how to reduce their production costs and be compatible with existing battery systems will determine whether they can quickly enter the market.
In addition, the charging speed and temperature stability of the battery are also issues that need to be paid attention to in the commercialization process. In different climatic environments, how to ensure the fast-charging ability and stability of batteries is one of the keys to promote the application of all-solid-state batteries. Although the safety of all-solid-state batteries is high, how to further improve their tolerance for long-term high-rate charging is still the focus of future research and development.
Looking to the future: technological breakthroughs in new energy around the world
The successful development of a new all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery by Professor Pang Quanquan's team at Peking University marks another important breakthrough in global battery technology. From the theoretical basis to the material design, the innovation of this technology will have a huge impact on the global new energy industry, especially in the fields of electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
With the continuous maturity of technology and cost reduction, it is expected that all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries will gradually enter the market in the next few years and promote technological innovation in industries such as electric vehicles, smart grids, and energy storage systems. Especially in emerging applications such as low-altitude aircraft and high-end electronics, this technology has the potential to provide more efficient energy solutions and contribute to the global transition to sustainable energy.
Conclusion
The research results of the all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery of Professor Pang Quanquan's team at Peking University have not only achieved a breakthrough in technology, but also provided new ideas for future battery technology innovation. Through innovative material design and chemical mechanisms, this research not only solves the performance bottleneck of traditional all-solid-state batteries, but also paves the way for the realization of high-specific energy, high-safety, and low-cost battery technologies in the future. With the continuous maturity and promotion of this technology, it is expected that all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries will play a key role in many fields such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems, and promote the technological upgrading and innovation of the new energy industry.
