University of Tokyo’s cobalt-free battery breakthrough

The University of Tokyo has announced a significant breakthrough in battery technology. The research team, led by Professor Atsuo Yamada from the Department of Chemical System Engineering, has developed a viable alternative to cobalt in rechargeable batteries. This new battery chemistry not only mitigates some of the environmental, economic, and social issues associated with cobalt production but also offers improved performance and longevity.

The new battery chemistry developed by the University of Tokyo team replaces cobalt with a combination of lithium, nickel, manganese, silicon, and oxygen, all of which are more common and less problematic to produce and work with.

The new battery chemistry not only eliminates the use of cobalt, but also improves upon current battery performance in several ways. The energy density of the new lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is about 60% higher, which could lead to longer battery life. Additionally, these batteries can deliver 4.4 volts, compared to the typical 3.2-3.7 volts of standard LIBs. The new chemistry also enhances the recharge characteristics of the batteries. In tests, batteries with the new chemistry were able to fully charge and discharge over 1,000 cycles, simulating three years of full use and charging, while only losing about 20% of their storage capacity.

Professor Yamada stated, “There are many reasons we want to transition away from using cobalt in order to improve lithium-ion batteries. For us the challenge is a technical one, but its impact could be environmental, economic, social and technological. We are pleased to report a new alternative to cobalt by using a novel combination of elements in the electrodes, including lithium, nickel, manganese, silicon and oxygen — all far more common and less problematic elements to produce and work with.”

While the team is pleased with the results so far, they acknowledge that there are still challenges to overcome. They are currently working to suppress various undesirable reactions that could reduce the longevity of the batteries and improve safety and longevity even further. Despite these challenges, the team is confident that their research will lead to improved batteries for many applications.

The concepts underlying this development can also be applied to other electrochemical processes and devices, including other types of batteries, water splitting, ore smelting, electro-coating, and more. This breakthrough represents a significant step forward in the development of more sustainable and efficient battery technology.

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