Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering Awarded DOE ARPA-E Grant

Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) and University of Kansas – Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering (WISE-KU) recently received a DOE ARPA-E grant to develop a Li-Air battery with ionic liquids to deliver efficient, reliable, and durable performance for high-energy and high-power applications. The proposed Li-Air flow battery would feature circulating ionic liquid saturated with oxygen to overcome critical challenges to Li-Air battery development, including achieving power rate capability and specific energy targets. The WISE-KU team will synthesize ionic liquids with high oxygen solubility, low viscosity, ultra-low volatility, and high ionic conductivity. Preliminary experimental results have demonstrated a tenfold increase in capacity using a circulating electrolyte. (Award amount: $1,499,985).