1. The University of Tokyo in Japan has developed a new generation of extremely concentrated electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.
According to Japanese media reports, a research team led by Professor Atsuo Yamada and Assistant Professor Hiroki Yamada of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo has discovered a new design direction for lithium-ion batteries that allows for the use of various electrolytes. The team developed an extremely concentrated electrolyte, with a Li+ concentration more than four times higher than that of conventional electrolytes, which determines charging speed. This research overturns the long-held belief among engineers that "the electrolyte solvent can only be ethylene carbonate (EC)"—a notion that has been firmly held for over 20 years since the invention of lithium-ion batteries.
According to reports, the high-concentration electrolyte developed by the University of Tokyo possesses a unique structure in which all solvents coordinate with Li+. Furthermore, the continuous binding of Li+ to anions differs from ordinary low-concentration electrolytes using ethylene carbonate (EC) as a solvent. Ordinary electrolytes have a Li+ concentration of around 1 mol/L, at which point ionic conductivity is at its maximum. This concentration necessitates the use of EC as a solvent. If solvents other than EC are used, the electrode will severely degrade. This is because, with layered anodes such as graphite, the solvent enters the interlayer (co-exchange layer) while being solvated by Li+, leading to continued reduction and decomposition of the electrolyte. Based on this understanding, the pursuit of high Li+ concentrations and the development of solvents other than EC has become a blind spot among battery researchers.
Yamada et al.'s research team focused on this blind spot, tackling the challenge of high-concentration electrolytes, a field previously largely unconsidered. High-concentration electrolytes have extremely high ion carrier densities, which helps increase the frequency of interfacial reactions, thus enabling rapid charging in less than one-third the time previously possible. Furthermore, different combinations of salts and solvents exhibit different properties. During their investigation of various solvents, they discovered that in addition to suppressing co-polymerization by increasing concentration, many solvents also showed reduction stabilization. Reversible operation of the graphite and lithium metal anodes was found in various organic solvents, including diethyl ether, sulfoxide, sulfone, and nitrile-based solvents, which were previously outside the scope of practical electrolyte discussions, without the need for previously essential EC solvents.
2. A New Solution to Tesla's Charging? Singapore Invents New Fast-Charging Battery with a 20-Year Lifespan
October 14th - According to foreign media reports, researchers at Nanyang Technological University have recently invented a new type of fast-charging battery with a lifespan of up to 20 years.
Batteries that support fast charging are playing an increasingly important role in our lives. While conveniently and quickly powering various devices, their lifespan is often a point of contention: "Why do we always have to replace batteries?" To address this issue, researchers at Nanyang Technological University have developed a new type of lithium-ion battery. This battery can be charged to 70% of its maximum capacity in just 2 minutes and can serve for up to 20 years, several times longer than the rechargeable batteries currently used in various devices. The innovation of this battery lies in using titanium dioxide nanotubes instead of traditional graphite as the cathode. Both materials can accelerate the chemical reactions within the battery to supply electrical energy, but the former can be reused 1000 times, while the latter only lasts for 500 cycles.
While there's no clear timeline for mass production and market launch of this new battery, the titanium nanotubes it uses are an easily processed and relatively inexpensive raw material, making its prospects very bright. Clearly, the widespread adoption of this new battery will dramatically transform the entire technology industry. Leaving aside some far-fetched ideas, even at the most basic level, it will extend the service life of many devices, especially those with non-replaceable batteries. Currently, users often have to abandon devices because they can no longer be charged, rather than due to other functional failures; this may never happen again. The most profound impact of this battery may be on the automotive industry. Imagine being able to fully charge a Tesla in minutes instead of hours and drive it until the car is obsolete without needing a battery replacement.
3. Breathing Battery: Conversion rate nearly 100%, superior to traditional solar cells.
According to foreign media reports, it is well known that batteries can supply electrical energy, which comes from the chemical energy inside the battery. Although batteries have great uses, their lifespan is often short, and their ability to supply electrical energy is also limited. Now, scientists have developed a "breathing" battery that can supply power freely between air and sunlight. In fact, this type of battery uses solar panel technology, allowing photovoltaic power generation devices to absorb the energy of sunlight and then store the excess electrical energy. The basic principle is similar to solar power generation, but the only difference is that the conversion efficiency of solar panels is 80%, while the conversion efficiency of the "breathing" battery is close to 100%.
While traditional solar panels have many uses, absorbing solar energy during the day and releasing it at night to power electrical appliances, they are typically inefficient and lose some energy. Researchers in chemistry and biochemistry at Ohio State University have developed a new solar power generation technology that can reduce the cost of solar power generation and improve the efficiency of energy conversion. Its core device is a grid coated with titanium dioxide nanorods, with numerous tiny pores spanning only about 200 micrometers. This device forms the basis of the new solar power generation technology.
When a solar panel absorbs sunlight, the lithium peroxide inside the panel reacts to form lithium ions and oxygen. Lithium ions are positively charged, thus storing much of the energy from sunlight. When the battery discharges, they recombine with oxygen from the air to form lithium peroxide again, creating a cyclic system that allows for repeated charging and discharging. In a sense, this new solar cell is like a breathing charging and discharging device. When discharging, it consumes oxygen from the air; when charging, it releases oxygen. The term "breathing battery" aptly describes this device.
Researchers at Ohio State University are currently testing this new solar cell. In laboratory tests, the battery's lifespan is close to that of mainstream commercially available batteries, demonstrating its potential for commercialization. If the product can be further refined, it could significantly extend the lifespan of current micro-batteries and supply more power. The research findings were published in the journal *Nature*.
4. A new generation of all-solid-state polymer lithium-ion batteries has been launched.
The Qingdao Energy Storage Industry Technology Research Institute, built on the basis of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has successfully developed a new generation of all-solid-state polymer lithium-ion batteries.
With technological advancements, electric vehicles are placing higher demands on power lithium-ion batteries in terms of high power output and safety performance. The separator-electrolyte system is one of the bottlenecks hindering the rapid development of power lithium-ion batteries. Developing high-safety separators and novel polymer electrolyte systems is crucial for improving the overall performance of power lithium-ion batteries. Led by Cui Guanglei, Executive Director of the Qingdao Energy Storage Research Institute, researchers have successfully developed a high-safety and high-voltage-resistant power lithium-ion battery separator using technologies with completely independent intellectual property rights, including wet-process fabrication, interface coupling, and functional modification.
This separator features excellent high-temperature resistance, optimal flame retardancy, and good electrolyte wetting, which greatly improves the rate performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries. It has demonstrated excellent high-voltage performance in a third-party evaluation organized by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for Nanotechnology, and has received high praise from the project's chief scientist.
Traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries use flammable carbonate solvents and polyolefin separators, posing significant safety hazards. Researchers at this institute, using their independently developed flame-retardant cellulose as a substrate, have successfully manufactured a rigid-flexible all-solid-state polymer electrolyte through functionalization modification and coupling processes. Compared to traditional polyethylene oxide pure solid-state polymer electrolytes, this all-solid-state polymer electrolyte exhibits higher mechanical strength (45 MPa), a wider electrochemical window, excellent rate charge/discharge performance (10C), and a wider operating temperature range (25℃～160℃), demonstrating broad application prospects and industrial value. Currently, the Qingdao Energy Storage Institute is optimizing the process parameters of the all-solid-state polymer lithium-ion battery, striving to be the first to achieve industrial demonstration in economical electric vehicles.
5. Flexible batteries debut; Samsung promises mass production within the next three years.
South Korean news website Newsway recently reported that Samsung's R&D department has successfully manufactured a battery with extremely high flexibility, which can be bent or rolled up at will. Importantly, in order to cater to the trend of the wearable device market, Samsung has promised to achieve mass production within the next three years and produce safer batteries for use in various smart devices.
According to Samsung's Interbattery showcase in Seoul last week, Samsung's flexible battery is extremely flexible, unlike the LG GFlex which has very limited bending limits. Users can bend the Samsung battery arbitrarily, and technicians have conducted tens of thousands of bending tests to confirm that the product is functioning well. However, Samsung also emphasized that this battery is not a final product and cannot be bent an unlimited number of times; it is not yet suitable for industrial production. Samsung promised to develop a more flexible and safer battery within the next three years for use in smart wearable devices such as the Samsung Gear.
However, Samsung did not provide further details regarding the battery capacity, so the exact amount of power the flexible battery can hold remains uncertain. It's evident that with the current slowdown in the mobile phone market, Samsung is diversifying its distribution channels while increasingly emphasizing its "tech-savvy" image, thus making it a driving force for the company's next phase of growth.
