MATERIALS
layers can extend outward in every direction to form a structure similar to that of graphite. Within the molecules are chemical groups called quinones – the electron reservoirs – and amines, which help the material to form strong hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds make the material highly stable and insoluble, preventing the material from dissolving into the battery electrolyte like some other organic battery materials do. “One of the main methods of
degradation for organic materials is that they simply dissolve into
MIT’s layered organic cathode
the battery electrolyte and cross over to the other side of the battery, essentially creating a short circuit,” Dincă says. “If you make the material completely insoluble, that process doesn’t happen, so we can go to over 2,000 charge cycles with minimal degradation.”
POWERFUL PERFORMANCE According to the researchers’ tests, the material’s conductivity and storage capacity were comparable to that of traditional cobalt-containing batteries. The tests also show that batteries with a TAQ cathode can be charged and discharged faster than existing batteries, which could speed up the charging rate for future EVs. The researchers
added fi ller materials like cellulose and rubber to the organic material in order to increase its ability to adhere to the battery’s
current collector. Making up just one- tenth of the cathode composite meant these materials did not signifi cantly reduce the battery’s storage capacity and actually extended the lifetime of the battery cathode by preventing cracking during charging. The primary materials to
manufacturer the cathode – a quinone precursor and an amine precursor – are commercially available and produced in large quantities as commodity chemicals, meaning the material cost of assembling the organic battery could be less than half the cost of cobalt batteries. With car manufacturer Lamborghini
having licensed the patent on the technology, Dincă’s lab will continue to develop alternative battery materials and explore the replacement of lithium with cheaper and more abundant materials such as sodium or magnesium. ●
For more information visit
www.web.mit.edu
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