Five researchers from the WUT Faculty of Chemistry take part in an international research project ANGeLiC, funded through Horizon Europe. The project concentrates on development of battery technology and support for Europe’s transformation towards climate neutrality in transport. 13 leading partners from 10 countries perform the work, planned to be completed by the end of 2028. The project coordinator is the Estonian NGO CIVITTA Foundation, part of the consulting group CIVITTA Group.

Project ANGeLiC (ALD-protected Next Generation Lithium-Sulphur Battery Cell) concentrates on one of the key challenges in fighting climate change: development of safer, more efficient and sustainable batteries for heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses. These vehicles produce ca. 28% of transport-related CO₂ emissions, even though they constitute only 2% of vehicles on European roads. The project got the funding of almost EUR 5 million and is fully financed through Horizon Europe.

The project aim is to develop lithium-sulphur batteries of much greater energy density than lithium-ion batteries. Thus they may be a better power source (enable greater range) for electric cars.

– Their energy density will cause that their low mass in relation to their capacity will allow to build the first larger electric planes. Lithium-sulphur batteries are not yet available on a wider commercial scale. The existing prototypes are developed by many research institutions and companies in the world but they are based on quite expensive and not very safe materials, which are also difficult to recycle, produce and the batteries work quite a short time. The aim of the ANGeLiC project is thus development of lithium-sulphur batteries which will work a long time – at least as long as present lithium-ion batteries – explains Professor Leszek Niedzicki from the WUT Faculty of Chemistry.

Additionally, they should have the state-of-the-art parameters but they will use cheaper and safer materials, easier to produce and recycle. Practically, this will mean using new production technologies such as ALD (layering single atomic layers onto electrodes to protect them and prolong their lifespan), using electrolyte additives and polymer electrolytes. Lithium-sulphur batteries with polymer electrolytes will in future power our electric cars, trucks and even electric planes.

– They can be used everywhere where so far lithium-ion batteries were used – small mobile devices, energy storage. Thanks to their much greater energy density, devices will work longer and vehicles will have a greater range on one charging session. At the same time, lithium-sulphur batteries do not need rare resources, such as cobalt or nickel. This means greater production independence in Poland and EU – we have our own sulphur resources, e.g., in Tarnobrzeg – explains Professor Niedzicki.

Lithium-sulphur batteries should also be much cheaper to mass produce – the sulphur replacing metals is much cheaper, almost 100 times less expensive than cobalt. Thanks to the use of polymer electrolytes, lithium-sulphur batteries will ensure greater security (they are non-flammable) and facilitate future recycling of resources. Thanks to the used polymer electrolytes, batteries can be used much longer without the need to exchange batteries, which is especially important in vehicles.

Invaluable contribution of our chemists

The Warsaw University of Technology was invited to participate in the project due to many years of experience in developing new electrolytes for modern galvanic cells. Due to the specificity and aim of the project, new solutions, not commercially available, are needed and the team from the Warsaw University of Technology Faculty of Chemistry has been working with new solutions based on their own tailor-made technologies for years.

– The role of the Warsaw University of Technology in the project will be to develop both additives to the electrolytes, and polymer electrolytes. Polymer electrolytes developed at WUT differ significantly from the state of the art thanks to the use of our own unique lithium salts the WUT team specialises in. In the world, only 4-5 salts are used since only those meet the industry requirements. The Warsaw University of Technology uses another 4-5 salts based on our own patents – stresses Professor Niedzicki. – In the project, the Warsaw University of Technology is responsible for developing the electrolyte, developing and producing lithium salts to the electrolyte, as well as additives, including ion liquids, also based on our technologies. Within the research we will test our electrolytes with other components of the cell, since we are responsible also for testing additives that facilitate the battery work.

The Warsaw University of Technology team, within the ANGeLiC project, is widening its know-how about solid electrolytes for lithium-sulphur batteries. Thanks to the participation in the project, the team has an opportunity to broaden their knowledge on their materials and their operation with new generation electrodes, including those manufactured with the latest methods, such as ALD and MLD. 

– Work is at an early stage, though in research we use our team’s wide experience in many European and Polish battery projects and in industrial collaboration projects where we typically have the role of battery electrolyte development. This is our specialisation – points out Professor Niedzicki.

Materials made by the WUT team and their behaviour in the battery will also be analysed with latest research methods offered by the best European centres – partners in the ANGeLiC project. In the end, materials made by the team will be tested in battery prototypes made in real factory conditions, which will be ”baptism of fire” in another field – lithium-sulphur batteries. Materials made by the team have for years worked in commercial lithium-ion batteries, also with latest generation electrodes. Now it is time for lithium-sulphur batteries.

5 persons take part in the project, all of them from the Faculty of Chemistry: 

• Professor Leszek Niedzicki is a specialist in lithium salts, ion liquids and electrolytes. He coordinates work in the project, supervises synthesis of salts, ion liquids and additives, makes electrolytes and electrochemical measurements.

• Maciej Marczewski, PhD, is a specialist in lithium-sulphur cells, makes electrochemical measurements, puts together cells and provides advice on materials selection.

• Marta Kasprzyk, PhD, is a specialist in polymer electrolytes, makes electrolytes and electrochemical measurements.

• Marek Broszkiewicz, PhD, is a specialist in electrolytes, tests electrolytes, puts together cells and makes electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements.

• Klaudia Rogala, MSc, is a specialist in materials synthesis with weakly coordinating anions and polymer electrolytes. She synthetises lithium salts, ion liquids and additives and makes polymer electrolytes.

Work in special conditions

The challenge, as always when working with new generations of batteries, is operating in glove boxes filled with argon. All laboratory work, such as weighing, injection, assembly, and battery mounting, is carried out using three gloves worn simultaneously. The thick rubber glove acts as a barrier to the atmosphere, maintaining the purity of the gas inside the chamber. The inner latex glove protects the rubber glove from contamination, as replacing the rubber glove is difficult. The outer cotton glove is used for hygiene reasons, as many people work in the chamber, and the rubber gloves are difficult to clean.

All tools, containers, and reagents must be carefully and thoroughly pumped before entering the glove box - non-porous materials for an hour, and porous ones (e.g., special wipes) for an entire night. This is to prevent the lithium from contamination by oxygen, nitrogen, or moisture present in the air, as moisture is found on all objects exposed to the atmosphere. However, this results in much slower work, teaching the importance of systematic approach, good planning, and attention to detail - nothing can be forgotten when placing equipment inside.

Nothing can be dropped, and none of the thousands of syringes used to measure the electrolyte can leak, as there is no way to wipe it off - there are few wipes available, and they are pumped for many hours, as moisture in their pores is harmful to the atmosphere within the battery. Cleaning and sweeping are also more difficult, as movement in the glove box is severely limited. Therefore, laboratory work takes longer than in a typical lab, partly due to the required caution and careful handling.

International research team

The ANGeLiC project brings together partners from all over Europe, concentrating on development of new battery technology. Apart from the Warsaw University of Technology and project coordinator - CIVITTA Foundation, the team comprises leading research institutes: Centre for Advanced Materials Application from Slovakia, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems from Germany, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry from the Czech Republic and French National Centre for Scientific Research, CNRS, with partner units Université Savoie Mont Blanc and Grenoble INP from France. The consortium also includes universities: Imperial College London and University College London from Great Britain, The Basque Centre for Macromolecular Design and Engineering from Spain, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and industrial leader Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering from Belgium, specialising in battery production and commercialization.