We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy

Skip to Content
University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo.
  • Search
  • Give
  • Library
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • UOW Global
    • Our global presence
    • UOW in Dubai
    • UOW in Hong Kong
    • UOW in Malaysia
  • Menu
  • Study at UOW

    • Courses
    • Apply
    • Scholarships & grants
    • Accommodation
    • High-school students
    • Non-school leavers
    • Postgraduate students
    • International students
    • Moving to Wollongong
    • Study abroad & exchange
    • Global sport programs
    • Campuses
    Study at UOW
  • Engage

    • Future student
    • Alumni
    • Visit UOW
    • Woolyungah Indigenous Centre
    • Volunteer
    • The Stand Magazine
    • Community Members
    • Grants and funding
    • Give to UOW
    • Visit the Library
    • Key contacts
    • Educators & school teachers
    Engage with us
  • About UOW

    • Welcome
    • Our people
    • Services
    • Contacts
    • What's on
    • Global presence
    • Media Centre
    • Faculties & schools
    • Our vision & strategy
    • Our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Strategy
    • Our reputation & experience
    • Locations, campuses & partners
    See more about UOW
  • Research

    • Our research
    • Researcher support
    • Research impact
    • Partnership & collaboration
    • Graduate Research School
    • Commercial research
    • Global Challenges
    • Media, news & events
    • Find an expert
    • Our people
    See more about research
  • Industry

    • Generator Lab
    • Advantage SME
    • Success stories
    • Industry research engagement
    • Equipment & Labs
    • Funding opportunities
    • Intellectual property
    • Collaboration for business
    • Collaboration for researchers
    • Careers and employability
    See more about Industry
  • Alumni

    • Benefits
    • Outlook Magazine
    • Events & webinars
    • Volunteer
    • Awards
    • Honorary alumni
    • Testamurs & transcripts
    • Update your details
    • Your career journey
    • Contact us & FAQ
    See more about alumni
  • Quick links

    • Contact directory
    • Staff Intranet
    • Campus maps
    • Transport & parking
    • Key dates
    • Events
    • Password management
    • Jobs
    • Accommodation
    • Policy directory
  • Library
You are here More Pages
  • Home
  • About UOW
  • Media Centre
  • 2019
  • Breakthrough boosts performance of sodium-sulfur batteries

Media Quick Links

  • Contact UOW Media
  • Visiting campus
  • Image library
  • UOW key facts
  • Find an expert
  • News Corp subscription
  • Sign up for the latest news from UOW Media

November 18, 2019


  • Story By
  • Benjamin Long
  • Photo By
  • Paul Jones
Share
Type
Media Release
Category
Science and Technology
Tags
ChemistryClean energyEngineeringResearchScience
Related Posts
Top international scientists in Wollongong for Future Materials SymposiumElusive excitonic insulator observed by researchers UOW researchers named among the world’s most influential

UOW in the News

Breakthrough boosts performance of sodium-sulfur batteries

Low-cost, competitive storage technology can promote shift towards renewable energy


Researchers from the University of Wollongong have manufactured a nanomaterial that acts as a superior cathode for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries, making them a more attractive option for large-scale energy storage.

Their research results are published in Nature Communications, where they were featured in the editors’ highlights webpage.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries are an attractive proposition for next generation energy storage, which will be required to meet increasing demands. A superior room-temperature sodium-sulfur battery with high energy density and long cycling life would provide a low-cost and competitive technology for large-scale stationary storage, thus promoting the shift towards renewable energy.

However, room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries currently suffer from rapid capacity fading and low reversible capacity.

The researchers overcame this problem by creating a nanomaterial – nickel sulphide nanocrystals implanted in nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanotubes – which exhibited excellent performance when used as cathodes.

Chief investigators Dr Yunxiao Wang and Associate Professor Shulei Chou, from UOW’s Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, said their research group had been working on room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries since 2016.

“For now, the actual energy densities of sodium-sulfur batteries are a far cry from the theoretical values,” Dr Wang said.

“Their practical applications are mainly impeded by the problematic sulfur cathode due to its insulating nature and the slow redox kinetics, as well as the dissolution and migration of the reaction intermediates.”

The research team experimented with a number of different materials before their breakthrough. The new nanomaterial not only delivers superior performance, but is also suited to large-scale production and therefore commercialisation.

PhD candidate Mr Zichao Yan devoted himself to conducting the intricate experiments needed for this work.

“We tried many carbon hosts, and finally found the nickel sulfide nanocrystals implanted nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanotubes as a multifunctional sulfur host,” Mr Yan said.

“We found that the continuous carbon backbone inside the host can provide short ion diffusion paths and a fast transfer rate. And the nitrogen-doping sites and the nickel sulfide polar surface are capable of enhancing the adsorption energy of polysulfides, leading to strong catalytic activity towards polysulfide oxidation.

“This indicates that sodium-sulfur batteries with this sulfur host could potentially offer a longer cycle life and high performance in fast charging and discharging.”

The next step, Professor Chou said, was to scale up production of the material.

“All our previous papers, including this one, were focused on how to find an efficient host for lab-scale research. The next step for our group is to bring sodium-sulfur batteries from lab-scale to industry-scale, and make a real application for this battery system.”

ABOUT THE STUDY

“Nickel sulfide nanocrystals on nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanotubes with high-efficiency electrocatalysis for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries” by Zichao Yan, Jin Xiao, Weihong Lai, Li Wang, Florian Gebert, Yunxiao Wang, Qinfen Gu, Hui Liu, Shu-Lei Chou, Huakun Liu and Shi-Xue Dou is published in Nature Communications.

The research was funded by grants from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Innovative Group of Guangdong Province, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Australian Research Council.

Media Assets for this article

  • Images

Media Contacts for this article

UOW Media Office

You may also be interested in

Genetic link to depression and schizophrenia confirmed in UOW led study
New conversations series to explore big questions and new frontiers
World-first ‘MossCam’ and smart sensor system developed by UOW researchers
Services & Help
  • Current students
  • Library
  • Information technology
  • Accommodation
  • Security & safety
  • Pool, gym & retail
News, Media & Events
  • Media Centre
  • The Stand
  • Alumni Magazine
  • Research news
  • Events
  • Find an expert
Faculties
  • Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities
  • Business & Law
  • Engineering & Information Sciences
  • Science, Medicine & Health
Administration
  • Graduation
  • Environment
  • Policy directory
  • Learning and teaching
  • Financial Services
  • Access to information
  • Jobs
UOW Entities
  • Innovation Campus
  • UOW College Australia
  • UOW College Hong Kong
  • UOW in Dubai
  • UOW Global Enterprises
  • UOW Malaysia KDU
  • UOW Pulse
Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Conversation
  • Contact us
  • Feedback
  • Give to UOW

Northfields Ave Wollongong,  NSW 2522  Australia 
Phone: 1300 367 869 
International: +61 2 4221 3218 
Switchboard: +61 2 4221 3555

  • NUW Alliance: Smarter Solutions for NSW
  • University Global Partnership Network (UGPN)
  • Reconciliation Australia
  • AWEI LGBTQ inclusion awards logo

Aboriginal flag Torres Strait Islander flag

On the lands that we study, we walk, and we live, we acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians and cultural knowledge holders of these lands.

Copyright © 2023 University of Wollongong
CRICOS Provider No: 00102E | TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12062 | ABN: 61 060 567 686
Copyright & disclaimer | Privacy & cookie usage | Web Accessibility Statement

Close