MIT scientists develop low-cost, high-energy battery solution based on rock salt
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What is the story
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made significant advances in battery technology.
They have developed a new class of cathodes based on disordered rock salt – a potentially groundbreaking cathode material for low-cost, high-energy lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, renewable energy storage and electric vehicles.
The study, led by Ju Li, a professor of nuclear engineering at the Tokyo Electric Power Company, examined this material for over a decade.
The team’s latest breakthrough involves the integration of a partially disordered rock-salt cathode with polyanions.
New cathode material creates balance between energy density and cycle stability
The newly developed cathode material, known as disordered rock salt polyanion spinel (DRXPS), offers high energy density at increased voltages while significantly improving cycle stability.
Yimeng Huang, a postdoctoral fellow in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, explained that their work aims to strike a balance between energy density and cycling stability by developing new cathode chemistry.
He further explained that this family of materials combines two main types of cathode materials – rock salt and polyanionic olivine – thus combining the advantages of both.
Manganese-based material offers cost and energy advantages
The new cathode material consists mainly of manganese, an element that is much cheaper and more abundant than the nickel and cobalt commonly used in today’s cathodes.
Li stressed that manganese is at least five times cheaper than nickel and about 30 times less expensive than cobalt.
He also emphasized that due to its abundance on Earth, it plays an important role in achieving higher energy densities and is therefore extremely advantageous for this application.
New cathode material could solve global energy problems
The researchers believe their breakthrough could be crucial to building the renewable energy infrastructure needed for a low- or zero-carbon future.
Li emphasized the need for earth-abundant batteries to store intermittent photovoltaic and wind energy, saying, “If we want to achieve true electrification of power generation, transportation and more, we need earth-abundant batteries to store intermittent photovoltaic and wind energy.”
He sees their work as an important step towards achieving this goal.
Overcoming the challenge of oxygen mobility in disordered rock-salt cathodes
The MIT team also addressed a major challenge associated with disordered rock-salt cathodes – oxygen mobility.
Although these materials offer high capacity, they tend to degrade over time due to reactions between mobile oxygen and the electrolyte.
To mitigate this problem, Huang added phosphorus to the mix, which acts like a glue that keeps the oxygen stable and prevents degradation.
