Scientists have announced a breakthrough in understanding how batteries work, which could lead to significant improvements in battery performance for electric vehicles and portable electronics. Researchers at the University of Dundee and the University of Warwick have, for the first time, identified the key role oxygen plays in storing and releasing a battery's energy.
Oxygen's Active Role in Battery Chemistry
Previously, it was believed that during the charging process, most activity occurred in metal elements inside the battery, such as nickel, cobalt, or iron, while oxygen was considered passive. However, the team used advanced computer modelling and laboratory experiments to show that oxygen plays a much more active role in the charging and discharging process.
Dr Hrishit Banerjee, a theoretical physicist at Dundee’s faculty of science, engineering and business, said: “Global populations have become increasingly reliant on renewable energy technologies and advanced energy storage systems from everything from the mobile phones in our pockets to the cars we drive. This has made understanding the technology underpinning electronic processes inside battery materials increasingly important.”
Comparison of Battery Cathodes
The study compared two of the main lithium-ion battery cathodes used today: phosphates and layered oxides. These forms of batteries are used in a host of applications, including electric vehicles and portable electronics such as mobile phones and laptops. The study found that while phosphates showed little oxygen participation, the layered oxides showed significant electron extraction from oxygen.
Dr Banerjee stated: “By improving our knowledge of what is occurring at a tiny, atomic level within batteries, we can make big leaps in improving their performance in the real world. Current technologies are limited by the understanding of the underlying physics of how and why batteries fail over time. This general framework will help design batteries with much longer lifetimes.”
Potential Impact and Future Research
The findings could lead to the development of batteries that charge faster, last longer, and are safer to use. The research shines light on how batteries function at a fundamental level, according to Dr Banerjee. The full findings have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
