AI Breakthrough: Indian-origin scientist discovers battery material to slash lithium dependency by 70%

A team led by Indian-origin scientist Vijay Murugesan has harnessed the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and supercomputing to uncover a revolutionary battery material that could significantly reduce the dependence on lithium in batteries.

In a collaborative effort between Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in the United States, the discovery utilised Microsoft’s Azure Quantum Elements to analyse an extensive database of 32 million potential inorganic materials. The AI-driven process, completed in just 80 hours, narrowed down the selection to 18 promising candidates for battery development.

The Microsoft Quantum team employed AI to rapidly identify approximately 500,000 stable materials within days. Murugesan and his team believe that the newly identified material has the potential to slash lithium usage by an impressive 70 per cent.

This groundbreaking material has already been successfully used to power a lightbulb. Notably, the AI-derived material functions as a solid-state electrolyte, facilitating smooth ion movement between the cathode and anode with minimal resistance.

Contrary to earlier beliefs that sodium and lithium ions could not coexist in a solid-state electrolyte system due to their similar charges but different sizes, rigorous testing revealed that these ions appear to complement each other, as Murugesan explained, “We found that the sodium and lithium ions seem to help each other.”

Lithium, a key component in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries since the early 1900s, is integral to various devices, including phones, electric vehicles, and satellites. The US Department of Energy predicts a substantial increase in lithium demand by 2030, raising concerns about scarcity and cost.

Traditional lithium-ion batteries also pose environmental and safety challenges. The mining process is problematic both environmentally and geopolitically. The newly discovered material with its solid-state electrolyte offers a promising alternative, providing enhanced stability and safety, according to the scientists leading this groundbreaking research.