New battery is safer and recharges 10 times faster than lithium-ion batteries
Russian scientists have developed a new type of battery that charges about 10 times faster than existing lithium-ion batteries and is safer than lithium-ion batteries because it does not overheat and burn.
Oleg Levin, a researcher in electrochemistry at St. Petersburg University, said, “The battery made from our polymer can be recharged in seconds, about ten times faster than conventional lithium-ion batteries. This has been proven through a series of experiments.”
The key component of the new battery is a nitrous oxide based redox polymer, a material that undergoes reversible oxidation (electron loss) and reduction (electron gain) processes when discharged and charged.
The redox polymer is a synthetic form of Nisalen, which is a nickel-Salen metal polymer in which chains of nickel and Salen atoms act as molecular wires to enhance electron conductivity.
The researchers explain, “In nitrous oxide based polymers, the only charge transport pathway is electron leap between adjacent redox centers, and at the microscopic level they are fast.”
However, at the macroscopic level their electron conductivity seems to be very low.
The scientists tried to find the best solution, and in their tests, the researchers explored several different polymer types, finally finding that acting as a conducting backbone with NiSalen was the only stable and efficient method. These structures also act as charge collectors for the nitrous oxide side groups, while also supporting the substance’s redox capabilities.
We came up with the concept for this material in 2016,” Levine said. In studying the charge transport mechanism of such compounds, we found two key directions for development.” “First, these compounds can be used as a protective layer to cover the main body cable of the battery, which would otherwise be made from conventional lithium-ion battery materials. Second, they can be used as the active ingredient in electrochemical energy storage materials.”
Levine noted that the new batteries doped with polymers have increased charging speed, and the next effort of the researchers is to increase the battery capacity. The new product currently has a capacity 30 to 40 percent lower than that of lithium-ion batteries. Theoretically, the nitrocellulose polymer can provide greater capacitance, so the product’s capacity expansion is only a matter of time.
Levine also described the new battery as a non-combustion hazard, and its environmentally harmful metal content is less than that of lithium-ion batteries.
“It’s safe to use – there are no substances that can cause combustion, unlike the cobalt-based batteries commonly used today, including lithium-ion batteries.”
“It also contains significantly fewer metals that are harmful to the environment. There is very little nickel in our polymers, much less than in lithium-ion batteries.”
Recent Comments