Scientists have announced a breakthrough in their understanding of how batteries work, saying it could lead to "significant leaps" in improving their performance in the future.
Researchers from the Universities of Dundee and Warwick in the UK have identified for the first time the key role of oxygen in storing and releasing battery energy.
It was previously believed that during the charging process, most of the activity occurred in the metallic elements inside the battery, such as nickel, cobalt, or iron, and that the oxygen in the battery was "passive.".
However, according to the researchers, advanced computer modeling and laboratory experiments have shown that oxygen plays a much more active role in the charging and discharging process.
They said the findings could lead to the development of batteries for electronics and vehicles that charge faster, last longer and are safer to use.
«People around the world are increasingly dependent on renewable energy technologies and advanced energy storage systems, from the mobile phones in our pockets to the cars we drive,» said Dr Hrishit Bannerjee, a theoretical physicist in the University of Dundee’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business.
«"This has made understanding the technologies underlying the electronic processes within battery materials increasingly important. This research is crucial and gives us new insights into how batteries work at a fundamental level.".
The study compared the two main types of lithium-ion battery cathodes used today: phosphates and layered oxides.
Together, these types of batteries are used in a wide variety of applications, including electric vehicles and portable electronics such as mobile phones and laptops.
The study found that while the phosphates showed little oxygen participation, the layered oxides showed "significant" electron extraction from oxygen.
«"By improving our understanding of what happens at the smallest atomic level inside batteries, we can make big leaps in improving their performance in real-world conditions," said Dr. Bannerjee.
«"Current technologies are limited by our understanding of the basic physical principles of how and why batteries fail over time. This general concept will help us develop batteries with significantly longer lifespans.".
The full results of the study are published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.