Rice University presented a technology that can change the rules of energy storage. Researchers have proposed a revolutionary solution for creating batteries that do not need lithium - an expensive and strategically sensitive resource. Instead of chemical modification, scientists have changed the shape of the carbon to the micro level, which made it possible to work effectively with larger sodium and potassium ions.
According to InterestingenGineering.com , the team has developed unique carbon structures in the form of microcons and disks that have become an ideal environment for storing charged particles. It is a breakthrough in trying to find an alternative to lithium-ion batteries that are widely used in electric vehicles, gadgets and energy saving systems.
“We believe that this discovery makes it possible to design battery anodes. Instead of changing chemistry, we change the shape, ”the researchers said.
In laboratory tests, carbon anodes with new geometry were stored up to 230 MAC/g of charge with sodium ions and demonstrated durability of up to 2000 fast charging cycles. The material also showed good results in combination with potassium, although the efficiency was slightly lower.
Lithium is a strategically complex and expensive element, while sodium and potassium are cheaper, more accessible and more common in nature. But because of their large atoms, conventional graphite anodes of lithium-ion batteries cannot effectively work with sodium and potassium. The solution of this problem was the use of cone -shaped and disk -shaped carbon structures, which retain space and "hospitality" for such ions.
Technology also has environmental potential - carbon materials can be obtained from by -products of the petrochemical industry. This makes the production of such batteries not only cheaper, but also environmentally responsible.
