Going Carbon Free Boosts Battery Life
February 10, 2017 | A*STAREstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Zinc-air batteries are one of the most promising solutions for the large-scale storage of intermittently-generated renewable electricity from solar, wind or tidal: they are non-flammable, inexpensive and with a very high energy density.
Oxygen (red) and water (red and blue) molecules react on the carbon-free electrocatalyst surface (gray) as the metal-air battery is charged.
But the lifetime of current zinc-air devices is far too short to be commercially viable, because oxygen attacks and corrodes their carbon-based components. Researchers at A*STAR have now developed a carbon-free version of one of the battery’s key components, the oxygen electrocatalyst1.
Conventional rechargeable batteries store all electrochemically active materials within the device. Metal-air batteries however use oxygen from the surrounding air as the active cathode material, significantly boosting the battery’s storage capacity. To incorporate oxygen into the battery’s electrochemical cycle, these batteries use an oxygen electrocatalyst, which requires good electrical conductivity for fast electron transfer. Various metals and other catalytic materials have been tried as the electrocatalyst, but virtually all have to be laced with carbon to raise their electrical conductivity. Over time, the carbon corrodes, eventually leading to device failure.
Yun Zong and Zhaolin Liu from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) at A*STAR and their colleagues have now developed a highly active oxygen electrocatalyst that contains no carbon.
This material — nickel-doped lanthanum strontium manganite (LSMN) — is a member of the perovskite family, a recently discovered group of electrochemically active materials that are also causing a stir as potential solar panel materials. “The high intrinsic electrical conductivity of LSMN means that carbon is not needed as additive for conductivity enhancement,” Zong says.
By alternating the ratio of nickel to manganese in the material, Zong was able to tune the perovskite’s performance. The best-performing formulation, containing 10 per cent nickel, matched the electrocatalytic performance of palladium on carbon, the current benchmark electrocatalyst. Yet, without the carbon, the stability of the material was greatly enhanced. The team tested LSMN over 300 electrochemical cycles and saw negligible performance degradation.
The next hurdle to overcome, Zong explains, is changing the process. In current metal-air battery designs, the catalyst is formed layer by layer on to a mat of carbon. “This defeats the purpose of using carbon-free catalysts, as underlying carbon may still suffer corrosion,” Zong says. One possibility is to replace the carbon mats with a nickel foam, on to which the carbon-free electrocatalyst could be grown in situ, he adds. “Our group is developing metal-air batteries where all components are essentially carbon-free.”
The team is also working on carbon-free versions of other battery technologies, says Zong.
Suggested Items
SMC Korea 2024 to Highlight Semiconductor Materials Trends and Innovations on Industry’s Path to $1 Trillion
04/24/2024 | SEMIWith Korea a major consumer of semiconductor materials and advanced materials a key driver of innovation on the industry’s path to $1 trillion, industry leaders and experts will gather at SMC (Strategic Materials Conference) Korea 2024 on May 29 at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to provide insights into the latest materials developments and trends. Registration is open.
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of a New Era for Newccess Industrial; The Construction of the MINGXIN Building
04/12/2024 | Newccess IndustrialOn a clear and sunny day in March, the groundbreaking ceremony for the MINGXIN Building took place in Shenzhen, China. This moment marked the official commencement of construction for a project that will reshape the semiconductor materials industry.
The Need for a Holistic Global Sustainability Standard
04/10/2024 | Michael Ford, Aegis SoftwareNo one can deny that the resources of our fragile planet are finite. The environment seems like a third party, subject to constant degradation. We’re acutely aware of the effects of pollution on our climate, and despite our “throw-away” culture, recycling and recovery of materials has remained relatively expensive, even as we use more energy just to survive.
iNEMI Publishes Four Roadmap Topics
04/04/2024 | iNEMIThe International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) announces the availability of the first roadmap topics in the new iNEMI Roadmap format. Printed circuit boards, sustainable electronics, smart manufacturing, and mmWave materials and test are now available online.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.