A group of Korean scientists announced that it has developed a new type of cathode material for lithium-ion batteries that can be instantly recharged without any impairment on the capacity.

A joint team from the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability (EEWS) at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Monday its new graphene prototype allows battery recharge within a minute and sharply lengthens battery life as its capacity remains unaffected even after 10,000 recharges.

The two-dimensional, atom-scaled lattice carbon sheet called graphen is the common cathode material used for batteries, including lithium-ion batteries that are opted to power smartphones and electric vehicles (EVs) because of their stronger durability and conductivity. However, the method to resolve graphite in a chemical solution and separate ultra-thin sheet of carbon from the solution inevitably leaves traces of foreign material, which can reduce the rate of conductivity and impair battery capacity over time.

The research group led by Kang Jeung-ku and Kim Yong-hoon, professors at the Graduate School of EEWS at KAIST, has successfully come up with a novel method by integrating ultrafin titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals - sized 6 nanometers each - with chemical vapor deposition from binder-free macroporous graphene (PG) to make three-dimensional sheet free of impure materials. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.

Kang said the integrated structure enhances higher performance in conductivity without any dent on battery capacity. A 130mAh/g capacity battery was fully charged and discharged within just a minute and unaffected even after charges of more than 10,000 times, he added.

By Won Ho-sup

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]