A multi-institutional research team, spearheaded by Hailong Chen at Georgia Tech, has unveiled a groundbreaking cathode material that promises to revolutionize lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), potentially reshaping the electric vehicle (EV) market and large-scale energy storage systems.
“For years, the quest for a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to traditional cathode materials has been ongoing. I believe we’ve found it,” stated Chen, an associate professor in both the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering.
The innovative material, iron chloride (FeCl3), is remarkably affordable, costing only 1-2% of conventional cathode materials while storing equivalent amounts of electricity. Cathode materials play a critical role in determining battery capacity, efficiency, and overall performance.
“This cathode could truly transform the landscape,” Chen remarked, detailing their findings in Nature Sustainability. “It stands to significantly enhance the EV sector and the lithium-ion battery market as a whole.”
Since their commercialization by Sony in the early 1990s, LIBs have enabled a surge in portable electronics, including smartphones and tablets, and have become the backbone of electric vehicles, providing a reliable, rechargeable energy source. However, the cost of LIBs, which constitutes approximately 50% of an EV’s total price, makes these environmentally friendly vehicles pricier than traditional internal combustion models. The new cathode could address this issue.
Advancements in Battery Technology
While LIBs outperform older battery types such as alkaline and lead-acid in energy density and longevity, they often rely on expensive materials like cobalt and nickel, driving up production costs. Currently, just four types of cathodes are commercially available for LIBs. Chen’s development represents a pivotal advancement toward creating an all-solid-state LIB.
Traditional LIBs utilize liquid electrolytes, which pose risks of leakage and fire and limit energy storage capacity. In contrast, all-solid-state LIBs employ solid electrolytes, enhancing efficiency, safety, and energy density. Although still under development, these batteries signify a substantial technological leap.
Chen and his collaborators have crafted an affordable, sustainable battery system combining the FeCl3 cathode, a solid electrolyte, and a lithium metal anode, resulting in a cost reduction of 30-40% compared to existing LIBs.
“This advancement could drastically lower the price of EVs, making them more competitive with internal combustion vehicles, while also offering a promising solution for large-scale energy storage, thereby improving the resilience of our electrical grid,” Chen explained. “Moreover, our cathode enhances sustainability and stabilizes the supply chain for the EV market.”
A Solid Foundation for Future Development
Chen’s interest in FeCl3 emerged from prior research on solid electrolytes. Since 2019, his lab has been exploring the integration of chloride-based electrolytes with traditional oxide-based cathodes, which faced compatibility issues. The researchers hypothesized that a chloride-based cathode could achieve better performance.
FeCl3 was identified as a promising candidate due to its suitable crystal structure for lithium ion storage and transport, and initial tests confirmed its effectiveness.
In contrast to the widely used oxide-based cathodes in EVs that require large quantities of costly nickel and cobalt—elements that pose environmental concerns—FeCl3 consists solely of iron and chlorine, both abundant and inexpensive materials.
Preliminary assessments show that FeCl3 performs comparably or even surpasses more costly alternatives. For instance, it exhibits a higher operational voltage than lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), a common cathode material.
This innovative technology may be poised for commercial viability within the next five years. The research team plans to further investigate FeCl3 and related materials, with Chen leading efforts alongside postdoc Zhantao Liu, and collaborators from Georgia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Houston.
“We aim to refine these materials in the lab while exploring opportunities for scaling the technology for commercial use,” Chen concluded.
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