New EV battery material may finally fix cell degradation, extend life

Scientists from Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea, claim they have achieved an important breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology.

The team has developed a new hybrid anode material that could dramatically improve battery storage and cycle life.

According to a press release, they introduced “a hierarchical heterostructure composite that optimizes material interfaces at the nanoscale, resulting in remarkable enhancements in energy storage capacity and long-term cycling stability.”

The researchers believe the development could be applied to real-world electronics within 5-10 years.

High conductivity and high energy storage capacity

The team claims its new structure combines graphene oxide’s high conductivity with the energy storage capacity of nickel-iron compounds. This could ultimately have a wide-ranging impact across industries, including the electric vehicle sector, household electronics, and renewable energy.

The researchers, led by Professor Jae-Min Oh of Dongguk University, use nanoscale engineering materials to find new energy storage solutions.

As described in the Dongguk University press statement, the team’s new study, published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, “focuses on a novel material designed to maximize the synergistic effects of its components.”

Their new composite is a hierarchical heterostructure that combines reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with nickel-iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH). The reduced graphene oxide provides a conductive network for electron transport, while the nickel-iron-oxide components enable fast charge storage via a pseudocapacitive mechanism.

“The key to this innovative design is the abundance of grain boundaries, which facilitate efficient charge storage,” the statement reads.

‘Smaller, lighter, and more efficient energy storage’

The researchers used a “layer-by-layer self-assembly technique” to develop their final composite.

This involved coating polystyrene (PS) bead templates with GO and NiFe-LDH precursors. The templates were then removed, leaving a sphere-shaped hollow architecture. “A controlled thermal treatment [then] induced a phase transformation in NiFe-LDH, leading to the formation of nanocrystalline nickel-iron oxide (NiFe₂O₄) and amorphous nickel oxide (a-NiO), while simultaneously reducing GO to rGO.”

The scientists used X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy to analyze their composite. These showed promising results. Electrochemical tests also “revealed the material’s exceptional performance as a lithium-ion battery anode.”

To be precise, during these tests, the anode demonstrated a high specific capacity of 1687.6 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 580 cycles. According to the team behind the new composite, this far surpasses conventional materials used in traditional batteries.

“We anticipate that, in the near future, energy storage materials will move beyond simply improving individual components,” Professor Jae-Min Oh explained. “Instead, they will involve multiple interacting materials that create synergy, resulting in more efficient and reliable energy storage devices. This research offers a pathway to smaller, lighter, and more efficient energy storage for next-generation electronic devices.”

While the team’s research shows great promise, they must continue testing their new composite before it can impact our daily lives. Still, the team’s research could result in longer-life, faster-charging, lighter batteries within 5-10 years.