CityUHK project targets 30% higher energy density in EV batteries with lithium-rich cathodes backed by RAISe+ Scheme

As the global electric vehicle (EV) market and renewable energy sector continue to expand rapidly, demand for advanced lithium-ion battery technology continues to grow. A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has been awarded funding under the “RAISe+ Scheme” to address the long-standing voltage decay issue associated with lithium-rich cathode materials. This groundbreaking research aims to introduce a new range of battery materials that offer enhanced energy density, extended lifespan and reduced costs.

The project plans to build a 1,000-ton materials production line and is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs.

Led by Professor Liu Qi (centre), from the Department of Physics at CityUHK, the project, titled “Breakthrough Cathode Materials for Next-generation Lithium-ion Batteries”, has been awarded funding under the “RAISe+ Scheme”. Photo credit: City University of Hong Kong

Led by Professor Liu Qi, from the Department of Physics at CityUHK, the project is titled “Breakthrough Cathode Materials for Next-generation Lithium-ion Batteries”. With the support of the “RAISe+ Scheme”, launched by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, the team aims to transform this technological breakthrough into industrial-scale applications within three years and optimise the production line for next-generation output.

Lithium-ion batteries: the foundation of the global energy transition

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become a cornerstone of the global energy transition, playing an essential role in renewable energy storage systems and smart technologies – from mobile phones to the EV revolution and large-scale solar power stations. With the rapid growth in global demand, the LIB market is projected to reach US$150 billion by 2030, with over US$60 billion coming from cathode materials, the component that contributes most significantly to the overall cost of batteries.

Among various cathode materials, lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs) stand out for their high capacity, high operating voltage and cost advantages due to abundant raw materials. They are widely regarded as the “ultimate cathode material”, capable of significantly enhancing the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Despite their theoretical advantages, however, LLOs face critical challenges of voltage and capacity decay, which have long hindered their commercialisation.

Lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs) are widely regarded as the “ultimate cathode material for lithium-ion batteries”. Photo credit: City University of Hong Kong

Overcoming the long-standing voltage decay challenge

The team’s innovative approach focuses on stabilising the honeycomb structure by incorporating additional transition metal (TM) ions into the cathode material. This modification suppresses oxygen release, cation migration and structural degradation, effectively addressing the core issue of voltage decay. This sets a new benchmark for high-performance LLOs and provides a solid foundation for industrialisation.

Furthermore, the team employs advanced surface engineering techniques to tackle capacity decay caused by surficial degradation, TM ion dissolution, structural deterioration and electrolyte corrosion. The team introduced protective agents, such as carbon coating layers, during the calcination process. This protective layer ensures long-term stability, marking a significant step in energy storage technology.

These groundbreaking technologies were published in Nature Energy in 2023. Building on these laboratory breakthroughs, the team aims to accelerate the commercialisation process by focusing on the development of two product lines: 1) LLOs for traditional LIBs, aiming to increase the energy density of traditional LIBs by over 30%, while reducing costs; and 2) LLOs for solid-state batteries.

Professor Liu Qi (right), from the Department of Physics at CityUHK. Photo credit: City University of Hong Kong

Expanding towards global-scale production

“Our research team has enabled LLOs, a cathode material, to realise their true commercial potential. This technology allows batteries to deliver higher energy density at a lower cost, opening new possibilities for EVs and energy-storage applications," said Professor Liu. “This project also demonstrates Hong Kong’s strengths in next-generation energy technologies and reinforces Hong Kong’s leading position in the globally competitive high-tech ecosystem.”

The team established SuFang New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and built a production line with annual capacity of 100 tons, dedicated to the industrialisation of high-performance LLOs.

With the support of RAISe+ Scheme, the project plans to build a 1,000-ton materials production line in Southeast Asia or Korea and is expected to create about 100 new jobs in research, manufacturing and engineering over the next three years.

BUTEMBO, Congo (AP) — Mourners gathered Wednesday to bury a Congolese politician who was beaten to death after publicly defending the government’s response to Ebola, a killing that highlights the mistrust health workers say is hampering efforts to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.

Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official with Congo’s ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, was attacked Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in the eastern North Kivu province, after defending the government’s response efforts during a radio program, the party said.

“They beat him up and then set the house alight,” Sagesse Kavira, Karondwa’s granddaughter, told The Associated Press at his funeral on Wednesday. He later died from his injuries at a local hospital.

The killing follows a series of attacks on health workers and other responders as the Central African nation battles its 17th and deadliest Ebola outbreak, which has so far recorded over 8,000 cases including nearly 4,000 deaths.

Authorities this month launched a village-centered approach to fight the Ebola outbreak. But those efforts continue to face resistance from some residents who dismiss Ebola as a hoax amid a widespread distrust in the country’s government for various reasons, ranging from how it’s managed past Ebola outbreaks to chronic corruption.

Responders say skepticism about the disease has complicated efforts to work with residents, including in remote communities and emerging hot spots that already face shortages of medical supplies and healthcare workers.

The mistrust is particularly difficult to overcome in eastern Congo's rebel-controlled territories, where decades of conflict with rebels as well as human rights abuses have left many residents wary of outsiders and state authorities.

The local politician killed in Butembo had been using the radio show to call on the public to obey response measures, particularly social distancing and handwashing, Jean-Baptiste Katsongo Lwatswa, first federal vice-president of UDPS in Butembo, told the AP.

“That is believed to have provoked the anger of certain young people,” he said.

Enoch Muhindo Balimatangi, a resident of Butembo, said there's fear and mixed feelings about Ebola among locals. "Some say that the illness exists, while others refuse to accept that it does. That’s frightening!” he said.

A key challenge in slowing this particular outbreak is the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus that is causing it. Clinical trials for those are currently ongoing in Ituri province, the epicenter.

In its latest situation report, the World Health Organization warned the disease remains serious and there are “persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care.”

WHO has also said the outbreak continues to outpace efforts to track and slow it, and is on track to exceed the deadliest on record, West Africa’s regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people.

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Brennan reported from Dakar, Senegal. Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, contributed.

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Butembo, Congo on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

People walk along a street in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

Sagesse Kavira, the daughter of Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official who was beaten to death after publicly defending the government's response to Ebola, in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

The burned home of Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official who was beaten to death after publicly defending the government's response to Ebola, in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

People walk past a banner with a photo of Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official who was beaten to death after publicly defending the government's response to Ebola, in Butembo, Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

A healthcare worker speaks to Ebola patients inside a treatment center in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)