Revolutionary self-assembling material may pave the way for recyclable electric vehicle batteries
In a groundbreaking development, a research team from MIT and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, led by Dr. Martina Vogel, has created a new self-assembling battery material. This innovative material could revolutionise the battery industry, particularly in terms of recycling, as it dissolves in organic solvents and can be easily broken apart, facilitating a more sustainable approach to battery recycling.
The team has constructed a solid-state battery cell using common materials found in today's batteries. The heart of this new material are self-assembled nanoribbons, which are mechanically stable and can conduct ions across their surface. These nanoribbons, designed to contain polyethylene glycol (PEG), successfully moved lithium ions between the electrodes. However, during fast bouts of charging and discharging, polarization limited the movement of lithium ions.
The new material serves as the electrolyte in a functioning, solid-state battery cell. The electrolyte is crucial, as it holds the battery electrodes together and provides the lithium-ion pathways. The electrolyte in most lithium-ion batteries is highly flammable and degrades over time into toxic byproducts that require specialized handling.
The self-assembling battery material offers an alternative to the conventional, less sustainable methods of battery recycling. The approach could help reshore lithium supplies by reusing materials from batteries already in the U.S., and it offers an alternative to shredding the battery into a mixed, hard-to-recycle mass.
As the demand for electric vehicles grows, the need for lithium recycling becomes increasingly important. Each battery requires a certain amount of lithium, so reusing this material can prevent massive lithium price spikes. The researchers plan to integrate these materials into existing battery designs and new battery chemistries.
However, there are challenges ahead. Convincing existing vendors to adopt new battery materials may be challenging. Additionally, the battery performance using the material as the entire electrolyte was not fantastic. Nevertheless, the potential benefits of this self-assembling battery material for recycling and sustainability make it an exciting development in the field of battery research.
The work was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. The research group's findings were presented in the journal Nature Chemistry. This innovative material could pave the way for a more sustainable future in battery technology.
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