Scientists have created a new type of carbon that could make the batteries in our phones, tablet computers, and laptops safer, more powerful, quicker to charge, and longer-lasting.
This new carbon, called OSPC-1, shows exceptional potential as a material for anodes within lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries currently power millions of devices, including mobile phones, laptops, power tools, space satellites, commercial airplanes, and electric cars.
“Our team has used an entirely new method to produce the only porous carbon designed at the molecular level,” said Dr. Abbie Trewin, co-lead author of the study from Lancaster University.
The industry standard material used for anodes within lithium-ion batteries is a form of carbon called graphite. The scientists compared the performance of OSPC-1 against graphite and discovered that it is able to store more than twice as many lithium ions, and therefore power, as graphite at the same mid-range speed of charging.
Researchers also found that OSPC-1 is able to store lithium ions at more than double the rate of graphite, meaning charging speeds can be twice as fast. Discharge speeds can also be vastly improved with OSPC-1, which means it can also be used to power more energy-hungry applications.
Another major advantage of OSPC-1 is its safety. It does not form dendrites—lithium metal fibers that can form when lithium gets stuck on the surface of graphite. If the dendrites build up and reach across to the cathode they can short circuit lithium-ion batteries and cause them to explode into flames.
OSPC-1 also appears to last longer than graphite. The team of scientists tested it over 100 charging and discharging cycles and there were no signs of deterioration. The open-framework structure of OSPC-1 means it is less brittle and not as prone to weaknesses.
However, graphite is currently the industry standard because it is very cheap to produce and easily obtainable. The researchers acknowledge that OSPC-1 would be more costly to produce, therefore its earliest applications would likely be for situations where safety is the first consideration, such as within space satellites and aircraft.
"We believe OSPC-1 has great potential in those situations where failure could lead to loss of life, or the loss of very expensive equipment in the case of satellites,” Trewin said.
The method used by the team of researchers has potential to be extended to other 3D carbon materials, and could create a new family of porous carbon materials which could see benefits for energy storage, electronic devices, catalysis, gas storage, and gas separation technologies.
(Source: Lancaster University)