Lithium-ion batteries, essential for modern technologies such as smartphones and electric vehicles, continue to evolve towards more efficient and secure formats. A team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology of Pohang (Postch) recently presented an innovative method to improve their efficiency thanks to a new structure, nicknamed “Plumber's Nightmare”.
A new approach for electrolytes of lithium-ion batteries
The electrolytes play a key role in the lithium-ion batteries, allowing the transfer of lithium ions between the anode and the cathode. However, the liquid version, used in current technologies, has significant risks, including leaks and explosions. Electrolytes in solid form, although they offer better security, have so far shown important limits, including a difficult compromise between ion conductivity and mechanical resistance.
It is in this context that the team of Professor Park Mun-Jeong developed a revolutionary method to maximize these two fundamental properties. Using an extremely low concentration of lithium salt – less than a tenth of the traditionally used quantity – they have managed to create a hitherto unprecedented structure.
The “Plumber's Nightmare” structure: an unprecedented innovation
Called “Plumber's Nightmare”, this unique structure results from a complex arrangement of polymer channels. All the ends of the polymer channels intertwine inward, forming a network of connected channels. This architecture allows an effective and rapid displacement of lithium ions, while ensuring increased stability of electrolytes.
Unlike classical layers, the “Plumber's Nightmare” offers a Ionic conductivity gain greater than 60 times. Lithium ions take independent paths from the slow movements of the polymer chains, thus avoiding traditional strangulation bottlenecks. In addition, this configuration reduces the “energy barrier” that the ions must cross to move, bringing it closer to the levels observed in inorganic electrolytes.
Increased performance, even at low temperature
One of the most impressive results is the ability of this new structure to maintain effective conductivity, even at low temperature. This advance is made possible thanks to the use of lock copolymers, which concentrate the lithium ions to specific locations of the polymer ends. This mechanism maximizes interactions between the ionic migration paths and the arrangement of polymers, thus offering a solution to the historic conflict between conductivity and rigidity.
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Promising prospects for new generation batteries
These results, published in the prestigious scientific journal ACS NANOare part of a series of research carried out by the Post Post team. Indeed, the structure “Plumber's Nightmare” had been mentioned in a previous article published in Science. Professor Park expressed optimism as to the impact of this work on the future of all-to-solid batteries. According to her, this approach could mark a decisive turning point in the development of high performance lithium-ion batteries.
Towards industrial integration
In addition to scientific advances, this technology opens the way for concrete applications in sectors such as electrical transport, where demand in safe and effective batteries continues to grow. Thanks to the reduction of energy barriers and the optimization of materials, this method could also reduce long -term production costs, making batteries more accessible for general adoption.
The innovation presented by postch researchers represents a remarkable advance in the world of lithium-ion batteries. The “Plumber's Nightmare” structure shows that it is possible to combine efficiency, safety and robustness, essential qualities to meet the requirements of tomorrow's technologies. This discovery could well redefine the battery performance standards, by opening the way to a new era in the field of mobile energy.
Source of the article: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c13442
