Case Study: Mitsubishi Chemical accelerates battery R&D with IBM Quantum

Mitsubishi Chemical conducts battery R&D at the speed of change

Mitsubishi Chemical, a global materials innovator, needed a better way to model the complex electrochemical reactions behind lithium-oxygen batteries, a challenge that is too difficult to simulate efficiently on classical computers. To address this, the company worked with IBM Quantum and Keio University to explore quantum computing for molecular simulation and battery R&D.

IBM implemented quantum algorithms and quantum chemistry research to study the lithium superoxide rearrangement process in lithium-oxygen batteries. The collaboration produced quantitatively correct computational results for a complicated discharge reaction and helped Mitsubishi Chemical uncover new insights into battery chemistry, accelerating research toward lighter, higher-energy batteries.