On march 20, the online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology published research from the University of Illinois’s Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory. The group developed a 3D nano struture for battery cathodes to enable rapid charge batteries.
A group at MIT produced similar research using graphine to achieve rapid charge capability in Lithium-Ion batteries.
In contrast, the group in Illinois use a novel self assembling technique to build up a lattice of nano spheres. The spheres are then plated with metal and the spheres are dissolved away, leaving a thin layer of metal foam. The foam is further etched away to enlarge the pours, leaving a thin film of metal foam for the batteries cathode material to be deposited. The foam structure allows for rapid movement of the ions inside the cell. This technology was demonstrated in both NiMH and Li-ion battery chemistries, and theoretically can be used with any battery material.
While this is not LiFePO4 specific posting, we here at lifepo4-info.com love this kind of research. Hope to see this technology in LiFePO4 batteries soon!
