A surprising way to jump-start battery performance

First charge determines lifespan of lithium-ion batteries

03-Sep-2024 - A lithium-ion battery’s very first charge is more momentous than it sounds. It determines how well and how long the battery will work from then on – in particular, how many cycles of charging and discharging it can handle before deteriorating. In a study published inJoule, researchers at the ...

Scientists discover how oxygen loss saps a lithium-ion battery's voltage

Measuring the process in unprecedented detail gives them clues to how to minimize the problem and protect battery performance

16-Jun-2021 - When lithium ions flow in and out of a battery electrode during charging and discharging, a tiny bit of oxygen seeps out and the battery's voltage - a measure of how much energy it delivers - fades an equally tiny bit. The losses mount over time, and can eventually sap the battery's energy ...

First closeups of how a lithium-metal electrode ages

Scientists have documented a process that makes these next-gen batteries lose charge - and eventually some of their capacity for storing energy - even when a device is turned off

26-Mar-2021 - The same process that drains the battery of your cell phone even when it's turned off is even more of a problem for lithium-metal batteries, which are being developed for the next generation of smaller, lighter electronic devices, far-ranging electric vehicles and other uses. Now scientists at ...

Cause of cathode degradation identified for nickel-rich materials

Combination of research methods reveals causes of capacity fading, giving better insight to design advanced batteries for electric vehicles

18-Mar-2019 - A team of scientists including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have identified the causes of degradation in a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, as well as possible remedies. Their findings, ...

X-rays uncover a hidden property that leads to failure in a lithium-ion battery material

Experiments at SLAC and Berkeley Lab uproot long-held assumptions and will inform future battery design

19-Sep-2018 - Over the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable batteries that move lithium ions back and forth to charge and discharge, have enabled smaller devices that juice up faster and last longer. Now, X-ray experiments at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory ...

New 'pomegranate-inspired' design solves problems for lithium-ion batteries

18-Feb-2014 - An electrode designed like a pomegranate – with silicon nanoparticles clustered like seeds in a tough carbon rind – overcomes several remaining obstacles to using silicon for a new generation of lithium-ion batteries, say its inventors at Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC ...