Research finds super-strong energy storage mechanism of metal oxides that can triple battery capacity

According to foreign media reports, an international research team led by scientists from the University of Texas at Austin has discovered that some metal oxides can store energy far beyond theoretical limits and are expected to become key materials for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.

Image source: utexas official website

The team found that these metal oxides have a unique way of storing energy, with an energy storage capacity three times that of the common lithium-ion battery materials currently on the market, which helps to create batteries with larger capacity, smaller size and faster charging speed. These batteries have better performance and can be used in smart phones, electric vehicles and other fields.

"For nearly 20 years, the research community has puzzled over the ultra-high energy storage capabilities of these materials that exceed theoretical limits," said Guihua Yu, who led the research project. "The experimental evidence in this study shows for the first time that these materials store extra charge through a space charge storage mechanism." To prove this phenomenon, the team found a way to monitor and measure how the element changes over time. The project involved researchers from the University of Texas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Waterloo in Canada, Shandong University, Qingdao University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The core discovery is transition metal oxides. In this class of compounds, oxygen and transition metals (such as iron, nickel and zinc) combine to store energy in the metal oxide. This is different from the traditional method, in which traditional batteries store energy by allowing lithium ions to enter and exit these materials, or by switching crystal structures. The researchers also found that the surface of iron nanoparticles formed during a series of conventional electrochemical processes can also store additional charge capacity.

The study shows that large amounts of transition metals could unlock extra capacity and allow for the collection of high density electrons, but researchers say there is still a long way to go before they can fully understand the potential of these materials.

The key technology used in the study is in-situ magnetic measurement technology. Using this real-time magnetic monitoring method, it is possible to study how the internal electronic structure of the material evolves, and to quantify the charge capacity by measuring changes in magnetism. This technology can be used to study small-scale charge storage, and its characterization capabilities exceed many traditional characterization tools. Yu said: "This study used a technique commonly used by physicists but rarely used in the battery community, and achieved important research results. This is a perfect combination of physics and electrochemistry."