New materials target fast charging batteries
Niobium tungsten oxides do not result in higher energy densities but allow lithium ions to move much faster through a battery. The physical structure and chemical behaviour are also more inherently safer. Similar materials are being used in Toshiba’s fast charging solid state batteries.
“We’re always looking for materials with high-rate battery performance, which would result in a much faster charge and could also deliver high power output,” said Dr Kent Griffith, a postdoctoral researcher in Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry.
“The idea is that if you make the distance the lithium ions have to travel shorter, it should give you higher rate performance,” he said. “But it’s difficult to make a practical battery with nanoparticles: you get a lot more unwanted chemical reactions with the electrolyte, so the battery doesn’t last as long, plus it’s expensive to make.”
“Nanoparticles can be tricky to make, which is why we’re searching for materials that inherently have the properties we’re looking for even when they are used as comparatively large micron-sized particles. This means that you don’t have to go through a complicated process to make them, which keeps costs low,” said Professor Clare Grey, also from the Department of Chemistry who led the project. “Nanoparticles are also challenging to work with on a practical level, as they tend to be quite ‘fluffy’, so it’s difficult to pack them tightly together, which is key for a battery’s volumetric energy density.”
The niobium tungsten oxides used in the current work have a rigid, open structure that does not trap the inserted lithium, and have larger particle sizes than many other electrode materials. “Many battery materials are based on the same two or three crystal structures, but these niobium tungsten oxides are fundamentally different,” said Griffith. The oxides are held open by ‘pillars’ of oxygen, which enables lithium ions to move through them in three dimensions. “The oxygen pillars, or shear planes, make these materials more rigid than other battery compounds, so that, plus their open structures means that more lithium ions can move through them, and far more quickly.”
Using a technique called pulsed field gradient (PFG) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the researchers measured the movement of lithium ions through the oxides, and found that they moved at rates several orders of magnitude higher than typical electrode materials.
Most cathodes in lithium-ion batteries are made of graphite but tend to form dendrites which can create a short-circuit and cause the batteries to catch fire.
“In high-rate applications, safety is a bigger concern than under any other operating circumstances,” said Grey. “These materials, and potentially others like them, would definitely be worth looking at for fast-charging applications where you need a safer alternative to graphite.”
In addition to their high lithium transport rates, the niobium tungsten oxides are also simple to make. “A lot of the nanoparticle structures take multiple steps to synthesise, and you only end up with a tiny amount of material, so scalability is a real issue,” said Griffith. “But these oxides are so easy to make, and don’t require additional chemicals or solvents.”
Although the oxides have excellent lithium transport rates, they do lead to a lower cell voltage than some electrode materials. However, the lower operating voltage is beneficial for safety say the team.
Related stories:
- TOSHIBA DOUBLES DRIVING RANGE OF FAST CHARGE LITHIUM BATTERIES
- NANOWIRE-BASED BATTERY PROVIDES LONG LIFETIME CHARGING CAPACITY
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