Disordered crystals are promising for future battery technology

Disordered crystals are promising for future battery technology

Disordered crystals are promising for future battery technology


Small, disordered particles of magnesium chromium oxide, new magnesium batteries can be the key to energy storage technology, which can increase capacity compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, find UCL and University of Illinois searches on Chicago researchers.

A study published today in nanoscale reports a new, scalable method to create a material that can store magnesium ions to define high-voltage, cathode defining properties.

Although it is in an early stage, researchers say that it is an important development in moving towards a magnesium-based battery. To date, very few inorganic materials have shown to remove and convert reversible magnesium, which is important for the functioning of magnesium batteries.

Dr. Ian Johnson (UCL) said, "The lithium-ion technology is reaching its capacities, so it is important to find other chemistry, which will allow us to build a large storage capacity and a slimmer battery." chemistry).


"Magnesium battery technology has been championed as a possible solution to provide long lasting phones and electric car batteries, but getting a practical content to use as a cathode has been a challenge."

One factor limiting lithium-ion batteries is the anode. Low-capacity carbon anode should be used in lithium-ion batteries for safety reasons, because the use of pure lithium metal anodes can lead to dangerous short circuits and fires.

On the contrary, magnesium metal anodes are more secure, hence the involvement of magnesium metal with a working cathode material reduces a battery and stores more energy.


Previous research using computational models predicted that magnesium chromium oxide (MgCr2O4) may be a promising candidate for Mg battery cathode.

Inspired by this work, UCL researchers did produce a ~ 5 nm, disordered magnesium chromium oxide material in a very fast and relatively low temperature reaction.

Associates of the University of Illinois in Chicago then compared their magnesium activity to a conventional, ordered magnesium chromium oxide material from ~ 7 nm.

They used a series of different techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and cutting-edge electrical chemical methods, when two materials were tested for magnesium activity in one cell.

Two types of crystals behave differently, exhibit reversible magnesium extraction and insertion with disorder particles, larger, sorted crystals than the absence of such activity.
"It shows that the future of batteries can lie in disorderly and unconventional structures, which is an exciting prospect and which we have not previously detected because the disorder usually raises issues in battery content. To highlight whether there is other structural defective material. Reversible Battery may give more opportunities for chemistry "Professor Jav Did Dar (UCL Chemistry) explained.

"We see the surface area increasing and provides novel pathways for important chemistry compared to crystal ordered, including disorder in the crystal structure.

Traditionally, the order is desired to provide a clear diffusion path, so that cells can be easily charged and discharged - but what we have seen shows that a disorganized structure is a new, accessible transmission pathway Introduces, which requires further investigation, "Professor Professor Cabana said (University of Illinois in Chicago).

These results are the product of an exciting new collaboration among UK and US researchers. UCL and the University of Illinois in Chicago have intent to expand their study to obtain more benefits in magnesium storage capacity and to develop another workable magnesium battery for other unorganized, high surface area materials.

Funding for this project was provided by the Joint Energy Center Research, US Department of Energy Innovation Hub and the Joint Energy Hub by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

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Disordered crystals are promising for future battery technology Disordered crystals are promising for future battery technology Reviewed by Tech Gyan on January 03, 2019 Rating: 5
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