Raman Spectroscopy To Improve Battery Life

Battery technology is a critical pillar in humanity’s sustainable green energy future. This fact was highlighted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in their September 2020 report titled “Innovation in Batteries and Electricity Storage: A Global Analysis Based on Patent Data.1” In the forward, Dr. Faith Birol, IEA Executive Director, stated, “The IEA’s projections for the future of global energy underscore the critical and growing importance of developing better and cheaper electricity storage.” She went on to warn, “[h]owever, energy storage – which is a critical technology – is currently not on track to achieve the levels … both in terms of its deployment and its performance.” One possible solution to the energy storage problem of current Li-ion battery technology is to explore the use of novel materials for battery production. This application note will review how one research team uses Raman spectroscopy to aid in developing alternative high storage capacity technology, known as intermediate temperature sodium-sulfur (IT-NaS) batteries.