University of Maryland Researchers Develop Three Materials Strategies for Higher-Energy Lithium Batteries

University of Maryland researchers led by Distinguished University Professor Chunsheng Wang in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, have developed three complementary materials strategies for next-generation lithium batteries, all of them published in the Nature family of journals.

The first study, published in Nature Materials, takes a concept-led approach to a long-standing bottleneck in all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Conducted by Postdoctoral Researchers Xiao Ji, Yijie Liu, and Xinzi He, with collaborators from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the study aimed to understand and suppress voids at the interface between Li and the solid electrolyte that form during lithium stripping.

The researchers reported that the critical current density is linked to capacity and lithium diffusivity. Fine-grained Li anodes have faster lithium transport, thus a higher critical current density.

“Rather than treating critical current density and capacity as separate benchmarks, we show how they work together and are controlled by Li diffusivity,” said Ji.

A second study focuses on high-voltage sulfur chemistry. Professor Wang, along with Postdoctoral Researchers Nan Zhang and Weiran Zhang, developed a lithium-disulfur dichloride battery. The work was published in Nature Energy, and it included collaborators from Vanderbilt University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University of Rhode Island and Oregon State University.

This study addresses conventional lithium-sulfur batteries, which are limited by low voltage and polysulfides that shuttle between electrodes. Because sulfur is abundant and inexpensive, overcoming these limitations could offer a lower-cost route to higher-energy storage. Before this study, stabilizing sulfur in a higher oxidation state had remained a challenge.

“By stabilizing sulfur in a higher oxidation state and keeping the reaction product near the positive electrode, we increased both voltage and capacity while reducing shuttling and self-discharge,” said Zhang.

The third study addresses a different challenge: silicon batteries. Silicon can store nearly ten times more lithium than graphite, but challenges with the electrolytes have slowed their adoption.

To address this, Wang and Postdoctoral Researcher Yawei Chen, in collaboration with Enyuan Hu from Brookhaven National Laboratory, developed a solvent-bridged electrolyte. Published in Nature Chemistry, the design preserves rapid ion transport and a broad liquid operating range.

Wang described the system as the group's third-generation silicon-anode technology, designed to combine high-voltage stability, fast charging and extreme-temperature operation.

“The solvent-bridged solvation structure overcomes the solidification limitations of conventional ether electrolytes, while expanding the electrolyte design space for lithium batteries and beyond,” said Chen.

Together, these studies show how controlling reactions and transport at battery interfaces can unlock sulfur, silicon and lithium metal. Each design addresses a different failure mechanism while advancing the shared goals of higher energy, faster charging and reliable operation under demanding conditions. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Published September 10, 2026