New Type of Electric Vehicle Battery with Manganese A Promising Future

TapTechNews August 27th news, researchers at Yokohama National University in Japan demonstrated a new type of electric vehicle battery that is expected to replace nickel-cobalt batteries. The battery uses manganese as the negative electrode material, with advantages such as high energy density, low cost, and sustainability.

Traditionally, electric vehicle manufacturers prefer nickel-cobalt batteries as they have higher energy density and can provide longer driving range. However, nickel and cobalt resources are scarce and expensive, and as electric vehicles become more popular, these batteries will become unsustainable.

According to TapTechNews, although lithium-ion batteries are the preferred rechargeable batteries for most electronic devices currently, their lower energy density limits their application in electric vehicles. To improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, researchers have been constantly exploring new materials and technologies.

Manganese-based lithium batteries, such as LiMnO2, have also been widely studied. However, due to their poor electrode performance, practical applications are limited. Researchers at Yokohama National University have solved this problem in recent research.

Researchers conducted in-depth studies on various forms of LiMnO2 through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical methods, and found that the monoclinic layered structure can promote the structural transformation of LiMnO2 to the spinel phase. The phase transformation of LiMnO2 can improve the performance of electrode materials. Without the phase transformation, the performance of the LiMnO2 electrode will be lower than the optimal level.

Researcher Yabuuchi Naoaki said in the press release: Based on this finding, we directly synthesized nanostructured LiMnO2 with a monoclinic layered structure and high surface area using a simple solid-state reaction. This reaction has no intermediate steps and can be directly synthesized from two components through the calcination process.

Test results show that the battery using the LiMnO2 electrode has an energy density of 820 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), while the energy density of the nickel-based battery is 750 Wh/kg, and the energy density of the lithium-based battery is even lower, only 500 Wh/kg.

In previous research reports using manganese, voltage attenuation would occur in the battery, that is, the voltage output would decrease over time, thereby reducing the performance of electronic devices. However, researchers did not observe this phenomenon in the battery using the LiMnO2 electrode.

Still, the problem of manganese dissolution may occur, and researchers plan to use a high-concentration electrolyte solution and a lithium phosphate coating to solve this problem.

Researchers believe that their research results have contributed to the development of a new type of battery that is competitive with existing products, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. They look forward to commercializing their technology and applying it in the electric vehicle industry.

This research result was published in the journal ACS Central Science.