Solid-state batteries are dependent on specific chemical elements that are expensive, difficult to find in large quantities, and strain Earth’s metallic resources. FSU researcher Bin Ouyang, working with Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory, devised an environmentally friendly battery-creation strategy that uses multiple elements rather than one single element.

Solid-state batteries store energy and release it to power devices, using solid electrodes/a solid electrolyte, allowing for a higher-than-average energy density. But this causes supply chain difficulties because each battery relies on only one element, such as lithium. Ouyang and his team have discovered ways to combine more common elements, possibly changing the electric vehicle or aircraft industries.  

• Bin Ouyang