Lithium-sulphur battery prototypes built with the researchers' electrodes maintain 99 percent efficiency for over 200 charging cycles.
The prototypes have been successfully fabricated by Fraunhofer, and will be tested in Australia early this year in cars and the electric grid, thanks to $2.5 million in government and industry partner funding.
An Australian patent has been filed and approved for the new manufacturing process which was inspired by a bridging architecture first recorded in processing detergent powders in the 1970s.
Associate professor Matthew Hill, who worked with Dr Shaibani, said the Li-S design offers attractive performance, lower manufacturing costs, abundant materials supply with ease of processing and reduced environmental footprint.
If commercially viable, the manufacturing process could produce batteries that enable electric vehicles to drive over 1000 kilometres between charges, and keep smartphones running for five continuous days, the researchers said.
