New protective coating can improve battery performance, 2025-01-06
A team of researchers at Empa has developed a new type of protective coating for lithium-ion batteries that could significantly improve their performance. The coating is made of a thin layer of aluminum oxide and is applied to the cathode of the battery. This layer helps to prevent the cathode from degrading over time and allows the battery to hold more charge.
In tests, the new coating was shown to improve the cycling stability of lithium-ion batteries by up to 30%. This means that batteries with the coating could last longer and retain more of their capacity over time.
The researchers believe that the new coating could be used to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries in a wide range of applications, including electric vehicles, laptops, and smartphones.
How the coating works
The new coating works by preventing the cathode from degrading over time. The cathode is the positive electrode in a lithium-ion battery, and it is made of a lithium-metal oxide. Over time, the cathode can degrade due to a process called “electrochemical cycling.” This process causes the lithium ions in the cathode to move back and forth between the cathode and the anode, which can damage the cathode and reduce its capacity.
The new coating helps to prevent electrochemical cycling by forming a protective barrier on the cathode. This barrier prevents the lithium ions from moving back and forth between the cathode and the anode, which helps to keep the cathode from degrading.
Benefits of the new coating
The new coating has a number of benefits, including:
- Improved cycling stability: The coating helps to prevent the cathode from degrading over time, which can extend the life of the battery.
- Increased capacity: The coating allows the battery to hold more charge, which can improve the performance of electric vehicles, laptops, and smartphones.
- Reduced cost: The coating is relatively inexpensive to produce, which could help to reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
Applications of the new coating
The new coating could be used to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries in a wide range of applications, including:
- Electric vehicles: The coating could help to extend the range of electric vehicles and make them more affordable.
- Laptops: The coating could help to improve the battery life of laptops and make them more portable.
- Smartphones: The coating could help to improve the battery life of smartphones and make them more convenient to use.
The researchers are currently working to commercialize the new coating. They believe that the coating could have a significant impact on the performance of lithium-ion batteries and help to make them more widely adopted.
New protective coating can improve battery performance
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