We develop more robust, safer and higher-energy density lithium-ion batteries, while using our fundamental science capabilities to develop storage materials that dramatically increase storage capacity and power densities. By increasing battery lifetimes and range, Argonne researchers are paving the way for the more widespread adoption of dependable and efficient transportation technologies. Argonne’s all-encompassing battery research program spans the continuum from basic materials research and diagnostics to scale-up processes and ultimate deployment by industry.

Argonne leads the newly-launched Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage (LENS) Consortium, which aims to develop safe, inexpensive, and long-lasting sodium-ion batteries that are made from U.S. abundant materials. If optimized, sodium-ion technology can serve as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which depend on critical elements found predominantly outside the U.S. LENS convenes 14 partners, including six national laboratories and eight universities from across the country. In addition, the lab leads the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), with co-leads Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. ESRA aims to enable transformative discoveries in materials chemistry, gain a fundamental understanding of electrochemical phenomena at the atomic scale, lay the scientific foundations for breakthroughs in energy storage technologies, and train the next-generation battery workforce to ensure U.S. scientific and economic leadership.