Enhanced Ingredients for Power-Packed Lithium-Ion Batteries with Intense Energy Storage Capacity
UNIST Research Team Announces Breakthrough in High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Technology
A joint research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a novel electrolyte additive that could revolutionise the world of large-capacity batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles (EVs). This discovery, published in the prestigious journal Nature Energy, could potentially improve the lifespan and fast chargeability of high-energy-density Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs).
The team, led by Professor Choi, co-corresponding author of the study, notes that this work is a significant breakthrough in the development of electrolyte additives for high-energy-density Lithium-Ion Batteries. The new additives have been designed to tolerate the volume changes induced by the lithiation of Silicon, a promising anode material for improving the energy density of Lithium-Ion Batteries. However, Silicon exhibits poor mechanical strength due to volumetric expansion during charging and discharging.
The new additives can remove Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) from the electrolyte, preventing the metal (nickel) inside the high-Ni anodes from leaking out. High-Ni cathode materials also suffer from poor chemical stability. The new additives compensate for the shortcomings of existing additives like VC and FEC, offering a new direction for the development of electrolyte additives for high-energy-density Li-ion batteries.
The study demonstrates the creation of a stable and spatially deformable Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) on a high-capacity Si-C anode. The stable and spatially deformable SEI could tolerate the volume changes induced by the lithiation of Silicon and could enable a long lifespan and fast chargeability of high-energy-density Lithium-Ion Batteries.
When used in a large-capacity battery with high-Ni anodes and a Si-mixed anode, the new additives maintain an initial capacity of 81.5% after 400 charging and discharging cycles. This is 10% to 30% better than VC or FEC.
The research team's systematic approach for rational molecular design and DFT-aided mechanism development offers a promising way to discover next-generation additives. This breakthrough in electrolyte additives could significantly contribute to the increasing demand for large-capacity batteries, paving the way for more efficient and longer-lasting electric vehicles.
However, the search results do not provide specific information about the authors of the study on the development of an electrolyte additive for longer lifespan and fast charging of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Nonetheless, this discovery is a significant step forward in the field of battery technology and could potentially lead to further advancements in the near future.
