There's some positive news in advanced battery science thanks to hydrogen ions, or protons.
These positively charged particles can work inside a power pack to carry energy, similar to lithium ions but sans the expensive supply chain and invasive mining needed to gather the metal, according to a lab report from Australia's UNSW Sydney.
A linchpin to the invention is the development of an organic anode material called tetraamino-benzoquinone, or TABQ, which can store the protons.
When batteries operate, ions move between the anode and cathode through a substance called electrolyte.
"Using this material, we successfully built an all-organic proton battery that is effective at both room temperature and sub-zero freezing temperatures," professor Chuan Zhao said.
Lithium-ion batteries are effective and cleaner than dirty fuels. When powering an electric vehicle, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that the rides are cleaner during their lifespans than gas cars, even when considering the costly and dirty supply chain for the hard-to-gather power pack parts.
But alternatives, from potassium to salt, sometimes have cheaper, safer, and even better-performing potential in greater temperature ranges.
Using hydrogen ions is among the latest innovations from an expert lab. The UNSW Sydney team touted its tech as addressing fast charge and even safety concerns; lithium-ion packs are susceptible to rare yet serious fire risks.
"To enhance the usage of renewable energies, we have to develop some more efficient energy integration technologies and our proton battery design is a promising trial," doctoral candidate Sicheng Wu, who helped to develop TABQ, said.
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TABQ was found in testing to support "rapid proton movement using hydrogen-bond networks." The motion bodes well for energy density, or storage capacity per pound, as well as power output.
The anode research started with tetrachloro-benzoquinone, or TCBQ, according to the experts. The team modified some of its chemistry to create the useful TABQ anode. They combined it with a TCBQ cathode, garnering great results. The battery is reported to be able to last for 3,500 charge-discharge cycles and is well-suited for renewable energy storage, per the experts.
The cost savings are set to be realized as the concept is commercialized.
"If you just look at the TABQ material that we have designed, it's not necessarily cheap to produce at the moment," Zhao said. "But because it's made of abundant light elements, it will be easy and affordable to eventually scale up."
Storing intermittent energy from the sun, wind, and waves is necessary to transition to a cleaner power system, a switch already well underway. In the United States, renewables generate more than 20% of electricity, according to the government. Leveling off and reducing planet-warming fumes impacts our future in many ways, including education. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed overheating and other concerns in a fact sheet about the climate and young learners.
Cooling things down can start at home with some simple changes. Unplugging unused chargers and devices can prevent air pollution and save you upward of $165 a year, as one example.
At UNSW Sydney, the team said its hydrogen-ion battery can also provide a way to ship hydrogen as stored protons, an improvement on other more difficult transport methods.
"Our discovery has made this concept a possible reality," Zhao said.
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