A research team from POSTECH developed an electrode material that can charge up to 75% of a lithium-ion battery within 6 minutes by synthesizing and applying porous inorganic material.

POSTECH made an announcement that a research team led by Professor Lee Jin-woo of Chemical Engineering Department developed an electrode material that can be used for lithium-ion batteries by synthesizing hierarchical porous inorganic material in a simple manner.

Pores within a substance are divided into micro pores (under 2 nanometers), meso pores (between 2 and 50 nanometers), and macro pores (more than 50 nanometers) depending on their sizes. Hierarchical porous structure is a structure that includes at least two of these three pores.

It is effective on secondary batteries as it has wide surface area and is excellent in sending substances. However it was difficult to mass-produce this material as complicated procedures are required to adjust different pores at the same time.

Research team adjusted evaporating condition of solvent and succeeded in synthesizing porous inorganic materials by having block copolymer and phase separation take place at the same time.

Besides titanium niobium oxides, this technology can also be applied to various inorganic materials such as tungsten or titanium oxides. Research team increased penetrating ability of electrolytes within electrodes so that lithium ions can be sent easier. Speed of charging has become faster as surface area for oxidation and reduction process has become wider.

“Although hierarchical porous inorganic materials had many strengths as energy electrode materials, they were materials that could not truly display their skills due to complicated synthesis.” said Professor Lee Jin-woo. “Through additional research, we are going to look for ways so that these materials can also improve performance of various energy electrode materials and not just lithium-ion secondary batteries.”
 

Article: Research Team from POSTECH Develops a Technology That Can Charge 75% of a Battery within 6 Minutes
Source Credit: etnews
Staff Reporter Jung, Jaehoon