LG Energy Solution presented the potential of next-generation battery technology by implementing a high-capacity battery that uses sulfur as a cathode material through all-solid-state technology.
LG Energy Solution said on the 5th that the results of a joint study conducted with a research team led by Professor Shirley Meng at the University of Chicago were published on the 27th in the previous month in Nature Communications, an international academic journal in the energy field.
The researchers succeeded in achieving high energy storage performance by using sulfur as a cathode material. Sulfur has attracted attention as a next-generation cathode material because it is inexpensive, abundant, and can theoretically deliver high capacity.
However, in structures that use liquid electrolytes like conventional lithium-ion batteries, there was a limitation in ensuring lifespan and stability due to the occurrence of "polysulfide dissolution," in which sulfur compounds generated during charging and discharging leach into the electrolyte.
To address this, the researchers adopted an all-solid-state battery structure that applies a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte. This blocked the environment in which polysulfide dissolution occurs and secured a capacity of about 1,500 milliampere-hours (mAh) per g and stable cycle life performance.
The company said this performance is meaningful because it was demonstrated not only in coin cell experiments but also in pouch cells, which are the actual battery form, confirming the potential for future commercialization.
An LG Energy Solution official said, "This achievement is highly meaningful in that it confirmed the potential to expand energy capacity to a level above conventional lithium-ion batteries by applying a sulfur cathode," and added, "Based on collaboration between industry and academia, we will simultaneously secure safety, energy density, and expense competitiveness and continuously expand next-generation battery technology."
Professor Shirley Meng, who led this study, is scheduled to speak on the development direction of all-solid-state batteries and next-generation battery technologies as a presenter at The Battery Conference at InterBattery 2026, which opens on the 11th.