The study focused on lithium batteries because they’re the most common in EVs, grid storage, and other applications. But the technique can also work with sodium batteries, which are advancing as a less expensive, more plentiful alternative to lithium.
Mirmira underlined that scaling the one-pot process up to the levels needed for industrial manufacturing will require “a couple of different knobs to tune.”
However, she stressed that the process needs to be completely air-free, for starters, processed under argon or another inert gas. That’s easier to maintain in the lab than on a factory floor, according to Mirmira.