Phys.org December 22, 2024 An international team of researchers (Canada, USA – University of Maryland, Oak Ridge National Laboratory) reported a superionic conducting, lithium-compatible and air-stable vacancy-rich β-Li3N SSE. It showed high ionic conductivity and surpassed almost all the nitride-based SSEs, had good air stability. They demonstrated their stable cycling performance with high-capacity retentions over 5,000 cycles. The lithium metal batteries successfully accomplished mild rapid charge and discharge rates up to 5.0 C, retaining 60.47% of the capacity… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Category Archives: Battery technology
New spin quantum battery can be charged without an external field
Phys.org November 30, 2024 Researchers in Italy investigated the performance of a one-dimensional dimerized chain as a spin quantum battery. Integrable model showed a rich quantum phase diagram that emerged through a mapping of the spins onto auxiliary fermionic degrees of freedom. They used a charging protocol relying on the double quench of an internal parameter, the strength of the dimerization, and addressed the energy stored in the systems. They observed three distinct regimes, depending on the timescale characterizing the duration of the charging: a short-time regime related to the dynamics of the single dimers, a long-time regime related to […]
New ion speed record holds potential for faster battery charging and biosensing
Phys.org November 19, 2024 Organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) have better properties than inorganic counterparts for biosensing, soft-robotics, neuromorphic computing, and smart medicine. However, slow ion transport relative to charge transport in these materials is a limiting factor. Researchers at Washington State University demonstrated that hydrophilic molecules local to an interfacial OMIEC nanochannel could accelerate ion transport with ion mobilities surpassing electrophoretic transport by more than an order of magnitude. Ion access to the interfacial channel could be gated through local surface energy. They applied the mechanism in a novel sensing device, which electronically detected and characterized chemical reaction dynamics […]
Fused molecules could serve as building blocks for safer lithium-ion batteries
Phys.org October 3, 2024 A team of researchers in the US (Cornell University, Rice University, University of Chicago, Columbia University) assembled a new supramolecular porous crystal from fused macrocycle-cage molecules. The molecule comprised a prismatic cage with three macrocycles radially attached. The molecules formed a nanoporous crystal with one-dimensional nanochannels. The supramolecular porous crystal can take up lithium-ion electrolytes and achieve an ionic conductivity of up to 8.3 × 10–4 S/cm. Structural analysis and density functional theory calculations revealed that efficient Li-ion electrolyte uptake, the presence of 1D nanochannels, and weak interactions between lithium ions and the crystal enabled fast […]
Researchers crack a key problem with sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid energy storage
Phys.org September 27, 2024 Microstrain and the associated surface-to-bulk propagation of structural defects are known to be major roadblocks for developing high-energy and long-life batteries. However, the origin and effects of microstrain during the synthesis of battery materials remain largely unknown. A team of researchers in the US (Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory) performed microstrain screening during real-time and realistic synthesis of sodium layered oxide cathodes and gathered evidence from multiscale in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and microscopy characterization. They found that the spatial distribution of transition metals within individual precursor particles strongly governed the nanoscale phase transformation, local […]
Solid electrolyte composed of nanoparticles shows promise for all-solid-state batteries
Phys.org October 2, 2024 Halide solid electrolytes are promising for improving the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state batteries. However, the state-of-the-art sodium-ion-conducting halides are not as high in conductivity as expected and lack reduction stability. Researchers in Japan found oxychlorides in a ternary system NaCl–TaCl5–Ta2O5 have high conductivities, formabilities, and oxidation and reduction stabilities. They mechanochemically prepared samples composed of NaCl and Ta2O5 nanoparticles embedded in an Na–Ta–Cl–O amorphous matrix, possessing ionic conductivities of 2.5 × 10–3 S cm–1 at 25 °C and electrochemical potential windows of 0.4–4.1 versus Na+/Na. Compression tests revealed that the nanoparticles in the oxychloride electrolytes improved […]
Chemists create gel to prevent leaks and boost lithium-ion battery life
Phys.org September 2, 2024 A key impediment for lithium battery technologies is the utilization of flammable organic solvent-based electrolytes which pose significant safety risks, and the recyclability of batteries has not reached the level required for transitioning to a circular economy. Researchers in Germany described poly(ionic liquid)-based dual network gel electrolytes as safer and sustainable alternative materials. The materials employed both, dynamic and covalent crosslinking, allowing the fabrication of mechanically stable gels with a high content (up to 65 wt%) of ionic liquid/salt both via thermal and photo polymerization. Mechanical stability, combined with enhanced ionic conductivity was achieved via the […]
Study of disordered rock salts leads to battery breakthrough
MIT News August 23, 2024 Co- and Ni-free disordered rock salt cathodes utilize oxygen redox to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, but it is challenging to achieve good cycle life at high voltages >4.5 V. An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Pennsylvania State University, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, South Korea, Canada, China, Taiwan) found a family of Li-excess Mn-rich cathodes that integrates rock salt- and polyanion-type structures. Following design rules for cation filling and ordering, they demonstrated the bulk incorporation of polyanion groups into the rock salt lattice. This integration bridged […]
A breakthrough in inexpensive, clean, fast-charging batteries
Science Daily July 3, 2024 Anode-free batteries possess the optimal cell architecture due to their reduced weight, volume and cost. However, their implementation has been limited by unstable anode morphological changes and anode–liquid electrolyte interface reactions. An international team of researchers (USA – UC San Diego, University of Chicago, University of Korea) showed that an electrochemically stable solid electrolyte and the application of stack pressure could solve these issues by enabling the deposition of dense sodium metal. An aluminium current collector was found to achieve intimate solid–solid contact with the solid electrolyte, which allowed highly reversible sodium plating and stripping […]
A ‘liquid battery’ advance—strategies for electrocatalytic hydrogenation
Phys.org June 12, 2024 The selective electrocatalytic hydrogenation of organics with transition metal hydrides is a promising strategy for electrosynthesis and energy storage. Researchers at Stanford University reported the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of acetone with a cyclopentadienone-iridium complex in a tandem electrocatalytic cycle with a cobaltocene mediator. The reductive protonation of cobaltocenium with mild acids generated (C5H5)CoI(C5H6) (CpCoI(CpH)), which functioned as an electrocatalytic hydride mediator to deliver a hydride to cationic Ir(III) without generating hydrogen. Electrocatalytic hydride transfer by CpCoI(CpH) to a cationic Ir species led to the efficient electrohydrogenation of acetone. According to the researchers hydride–transfer mediation presents a powerful […]