Researchers from Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have discovered a way to extend the life and performance of lithium-ion batteries, one of the most commonly used rechargeable batteries, according to an article from the school posted on Tech Xplore.
From our cell phones to our laptops and even electric vehicles, many of us use lithium-ion batteries every single day, although the technology is still developing.
The paper, "Suppression of Transition Metal Dissolution in Mn-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes with Graphene Nanocomposite Dry Coatings," detailed the team's testing of dry-coating using graphene.
Senior research scientist at Caltech David Boyd has spent the past decade developing techniques for manufacturing graphene. This material is only one atom thick yet incredibly strong, and it conducts electricity better than other materials like silicon.
Boyd and his colleagues had a breakthrough in 2015, when they realized they could produce high-quality graphene at room temperature. This discovery instigated a hunt for new applications for graphene, leading Boyd to team up with Will West, a technologist at JPL who specializes in electrochemistry and improving battery tech.
The duo began their research to determine if graphene could improve upon lithium-ion batteries. Their experiments proved it can.
Batteries produce electrical energy by first creating chemical energy between the two ends of the battery, the cathode and the anode.
Transition metal dissolution (TMD) — the process in which transition metals from the cathode move to the anode, thereby reducing performance — is why cobalt-bearing cathodes are used. They reduce TMD, but scientists have been searching for a more sustainable substitute for cobalt.
Caltech's article noted much of the global supply of cobalt is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is mined by freelance workers, often children, who make very little or no money doing this dangerous work.
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Boyd and West knew the typical process of applying graphene to a cathode would destroy the cathode material, so they tried a different method: dry-coating.
Dry-coating has been used for decades by the pharmaceutical industry to extend the life of pills, and Boyd and West found success using the method to cover and protect the battery cathodes.
Their results included reduced TMD, doubled battery cycle life, and the ability for the batteries to function over a wider range of temperatures.
"This is also an advance for coating technologies in general," Boyd said, per the article on Tech Xplore. "It opens up a lot of possibilities for the use of dry coatings."
The new development could go a long way in making batteries that are more affordable, charge faster, and last longer. It could also be a leap forward in sustainability.
Carbon, which graphene is a form of, is much more widely available than cobalt, and it's eco-friendly.
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