According to foreign media reports, the University of Maryland, the US Department of Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the US Army Research Lab have developed and studied new cathode materials - a modified design. Iron trifluoride (FeF3), the material or will make the lithium ion battery electrode energy density tripled.
This material is commonly used in lithium-ion batteries, which is mainly due to intercalation chemistry. However, complexes such as iron trifluoride are often transported through more complex conversion reactions. Multiple electronics.
Although the potential of FeF3 can increase the capacity of the cathode, the historical performance of the composite in lithium-ion batteries is not good, because there are three major problems in the conversion reaction: Low energy efficiency (hysteresis, hysteresis), low reaction rate, side reactions (Return) or lead to lithium battery life is shortened.
To overcome this type of technical challenge, the research team used a chemical substitution process to add a cobalt compound and oxygen atoms to the nanorods of FeF3 nanorods, enabling researchers to manipulate the reaction pathways and achieve reversible reactions.
First, the researchers used the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) to observe FeF3 nanorods with resolution up to 0.1 nanometers.
Subsequently, the researchers used the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) X-ray Powder Diffraction (XPD) beam line to pass the super bright X-rays through the cathode material and then to the discrete light. Analysis, researcher or other information that can visually present the structure of the material.
In order to evaluate the functionality of this cathode material, the combination of CFN and NSLS-II's highly advanced image and microscopy technology has become the key.
Researchers at the University of Maryland said that the research strategy can be applied to other high energy conversion materials. Future research can also use this method to improve other battery systems.
