Professor Yu Seung-ho (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering) of the Electrochemical Energy Laboratory and his other colleagues have made headlines in Korea University (KU) for their publication in the Advanced Functional Materials Journal and research on lithium-sulfur batteries by modifying their atomic structure of Iron (Fe)-Nitrogen (N)-Carbon (C) catalysts via the morphology engineering of graphene. Using various experimental analyses of high-speed charging rates and amounts of electrolytes, the professor and his team confirmed an excellent and better performing battery system.

However, a lithium-sulfur battery has a problem of dissolution of a reaction intermediate in an electrolyte. Additionally, the low reactivity of lithium sulfide creates difficulty with the charge-discharge rate and a long-term performance at high current density rates. Thus, the redox reaction of sulfide must be considered for the next step of this project, which is enhancing battery efficiency.

The breakthrough results in possible alternatives for commercially available batteries, which currently use lithium and cobalt. Lithium and cobalt batteries have high manufacturing costs and low energy densities, which can make them less efficient. On the other hand, batteries made with lithium and sulfur have a significant upper hand of having low material costs. The improvement in electrochemical catalysts and second-generation batteries can lead to batteries with better performance, new types of research, and better electronics in the future.