Researchers at The University of Queensland in Australia have developed a new nanotechnology that is said to more than double the lifespan of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for higher-density and lower-cost energy storage solutions. flat road.
The team designed a cathode material that is only atomic thick, which reduces corrosion behavior in lithium-ion batteries. This material exhibits better high-pressure cycling stability, with capacity retention close to 80% after 1000 cycles.
The research team was made up of staff from the University of Queensland's School of Chemical Engineering and the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). Research leader Professor Lianzhou Wang said the team has demonstrated a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is stable for more than 1,000 cycles. "The researchers engineered a unique atomic-thick functional layer on the surface of a high-voltage cathode. The cathode material is the source of lithium ions and a key aspect that affects the battery's cycle life. This new approach features a scalable process for use in Minimal protective coatings, paving the way for the deployment of these abundant high-voltage materials in next-generation high-energy batteries."
The main cause of battery degradation is various corrosion phenomena. The new process will improve battery life used in devices of all kinds, such as smartphones and electric vehicles. The new technique involves applying an epitaxially-engineered wetting layer on a lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathode material. This atomic-thick wetting layer can suppress transition metal dissolution on the cathode for a long time without affecting cathode kinetics, the team said.
When tested in an all-Li-ion coin cell configuration, the coated LNMO combined with a graphite anode and a non-aqueous electrolyte showed a capacity retention rate of about 77% after 1000 cycles at 290 mAg−1. The final discharge capacity is about 80 mAhg−1 with an average coulombic efficiency (CE) >99%.
With the increasing pressure to decarbonize the industry, it is of great significance to develop lithium-ion batteries with lower cost, higher energy density and longer cycle life. The researchers believe this nanotechnology will have a wide range of industry applications, including consumer electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage devices.
Dr Rosalind Gummow, technical expert at VSPC in Australia, welcomed the development. The company, a subsidiary of lithium battery technology provider Lithium Australia NL, focuses on the development and commercialization of leading cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Dr Gummow said: "The use of epitaxial surface layers to improve the cycling efficiency and lifetime of high-voltage cathodes has important implications for improving the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. The method developed in this study may also contribute to stabilization Other cathode materials that degrade rapidly during cycling."
