Mainak Majumder, Matthew Hill, Mahdokht Shaibani and Stefan Kaskel were able to secure an ARC DP project grant for 2019. The ARC DP project grant is for investigating advanced separation membranes for Li-S batteries. This is a really fantastic outcome. The Project aims to develop new membranes for use as separators in lithium-sulfur batteries. At the moment, diffusion of polysulphides within these batteries reduces battery power and lifetime. The new membranes are intended to block polysulphides over an extended lifetime while transporting the other ions needed for the battery to function. This Project expects to generate new membrane materials, and further knowledge about design, synthesis and larger-scale production of membranes for electrochemical applications. The project will bring together world leaders in membranes, battery technology and porous materials, potentially leading to lighter, longer-lasting, cheaper batteries.

Standing left to right: Matthew Hill, Mainak Majumder, Mahdokht Shaibani.