APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Fast-charging Li-ion batteries
- High energy density applications
BENEFITS:
- High rate capability
- High energy density
- More common materials than traditional Li-ion cathodes
BACKGROUND:
- The expansion of electrification to other industries and larger scales has been limited by the performance and availability of materials for current lithium-ion battery technology. In transportation, for example, higher capacity and faster charging are always desired to extend vehicle range and make longer distance travel possible. In terms of materials, commercially available Li-ion batteries depend on rare and expensive transition metals like nickel and cobalt that make electrification expensive and limit the total battery capacity available.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
Berkeley Lab researchers have modified disordered rock salts (DRX) to develop a new cathode material with high energy density, high rate capability, and improved cycling stability. The scientists were able to induce a phase change creating medium-range, spinel-like ordering while maintaining long-range disorder to produce a material with the cycling stability of a spinel structure and still avoiding the detrimental two-phase reactions that occur in ordered spinels. Additionally, this cathode material demonstrates high performance with only manganese and titanium, both of which are abundant enough to overcome the scale limitations on other cathode materials.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Validated in laboratory environment
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:
- Zijian Cai
- Han-Ming Hau
- Juhyeon Ahn
- Guoying Chen
- Gerbrand Ceder
STATUS: Patent pending.
Additional Information: Earth-abundant Li-ion cathode materials with nanoengineered microstructures. Nat. Nanotechnol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01787-y
OPPORTUNITIES: Available for licensing or collaborative research.