US scientists develop three-dimensional nano-battery charge and discharge only a few seconds

Batteries are an important part of modern electronic tools, and they are also a major shortcoming. Its main drawback is that it cannot be charged as fast as a supercapacitor, and its performance will decrease over time. According to the report of the American Physicist Organization Network on October 9, US scientists have now developed a battery with a three-dimensional nanostructured electrode. The charge and discharge can be completed within a few seconds, and rapid charge and discharge will not affect the energy density of the battery. The latest results are expected to completely change the battery design method.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Paul Bollen, together with his master student Xin Di and postdoctoral researcher Zhang Huigang, wrapped a film into three-dimensional nanostructured electrodes to enable Get a large effective volume and current. The results of the demonstration show that batteries with such electrodes can be charged and discharged quickly in a matter of seconds, and the efficiency is 100 times that of a bulk electrode battery. This means that when it is used in an electric vehicle, the time it takes to charge it may be the same as filling it at a gas station; more importantly, the energy density of the battery for quick charge and discharge (stored in a space or mass material The size of the energy to be solved is the problem of how far the electric vehicle can run once it is charged. It has no effect.

Bao En said: "This new battery that can be quickly charged and discharged can be used in medical equipment, lasers and military fields, in addition to being able to flex its muscles in the automotive field."

The scientists first applied tiny balls to a surface, and then wrapped the balls tightly into a grid-like structure. The spaces between the balls and the balls were filled with metal; then the balls were melted. A three-dimensional scaffold similar to a sponge is obtained; the surface of the three-dimensional scaffold is then electrolytically etched so that the pores in the sponge structure are enlarged, an open framework structure is created, and finally an active material film is applied to the framework. on.

The researchers pointed out: "As a result, we have obtained an electrode structure with excellent performance, and there is little connection between them. Therefore, lithium ions can quickly move the active material film and also enable lithium ions to diffuse quickly; at the same time, metal materials allow them to More conductive."

Pauln said: "The latest research has nothing to do with any specific battery type, but a new battery design paradigm - to use three-dimensional structure to enhance the performance of the battery."

This study was supported by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Earlier this year, Zhang Huigang and others in the "Nature Nanotechnology" magazine pointed out that they have developed a new method for rapid battery charging, suitable for lithium-ion and nickel-based batteries. This method focuses on reducing the distance between ions reaching the electrodes. The results showed that, in the case of a nickel-metal hydride battery, the electrode can be filled with 75% of the capacity in 2.7 seconds and 90% in 20 seconds. This rate remains stable after 100 cycles of charge and discharge. A full-size lithium battery electrode can be charged to 75% in 1 minute; 90% in 2 minutes.