Australian betadine-inspired battery breakthrough could add 1000km to EV range

The household antiseptic ointment used for decades in Australia to slather on scraped knees has inspired a lithium battery chemistry breakthrough that could power electric aircraft of the future and deliver an extra 1000 kilometres on a single electric vehicle charge.

The Australian research, led by Monash University in Victoria and published Tuesday in Advanced Energy Materials, uses the unique chemistry of sulfur to make lithium-ion batteries cheaper, greener, lighter weight and – most importantly – viable for real-world, heavy-duty use.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have long held great promise for their energy dense properties, but their complex chemistry has made them slow to charge and discharge and prevented them from maintaining high performance without degrading quickly.

Using a spin on the iodine found in antiseptic lotions commonly found in household medicine cabinets, the team at Monash claims to have made a transformative step in battery technology and set a new benchmark for practical lithium-sulphur prototypes.

“Imagine an electric vehicle that can travel from Melbourne to Sydney on a single charge or a smartphone that charges in minutes — we’re on the cusp of making this a reality,” said co-lead author of the paper Dr Petar Jovanović.

“This represents a major breakthrough toward making Li-S a feasible option not just for long-haul EVs but particularly in industries like aviation and maritime that require rapid, reliable power that is crucially light-weighted.”

In an electric car, Jovanović says the iodine treated Li-S batteries could power an extra 1000 kilometres on a single charge while also cutting recharge time.

“With our new catalyst, we’ve overcome one of the last remaining barriers to commercialisation – charging speed,” adds co-lead researcher and director of the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials, Professor Mainak Majumder.

“Our catalyst has significantly enhanced the C-rate performance of Li-S batteries, demonstrated in early proof-of-concept prototype cells. With commercial scaling and larger cell production, this technology could deliver energy densities up to 400 Wh/kg.”

“This makes it well-suited for applications requiring dynamic performance, such as aviation, where batteries must handle high C-rates during take-off and efficiently switch to low C-rates during cruising,” Majumder says.

“Li-S batteries are also a greener alternative to the materials used in traditional Li-ion batteries, which rely on limited and often environmentally harmful resources like cobalt.”

To bring the technology to market, Monash University has launched a new spin-off, Ghove Energy, currently raising pre-seed funding. Sophisticated investors are being invited to back the venture. The global lithium-sulfur battery market is expected to be worth $US209 million by 2028.

Meanwhile, the research team continues refine the new additives that promise to speed up both charging and discharging times even more, along with methods that reduce the amount of lithium needed. 

Professor Majumder says the research is also being supported by the US Air Force Office of Sponsored Research.

“This emerging industry has the potential to create jobs, drive economic growth and establish Australia as a key player in the market,” Majumder says.

“As demands for high-performance batteries soars, investment in cutting-edge technology will have long-term benefits for job creation and economic growth.”