MIT team develops organic alternative to cobalt cathodes

Most Li-ion batteries feature a cathode that contains cobalt, a metal that offers high stability and energy density. However, cobalt’s extraction – particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo – occurs in some of the worst mining conditions on Earth, linked with child labour and widespread environmental damage. As the majority of cobalt deposits are located in politically unstable countries, this also makes the price of the material volatile.  

“Cobalt batteries can store a lot of energy, and they have all of features that people care about in terms of performance, but they have the issue of not being widely available, and the cost fluctuates broadly with commodity prices,” said Mircea Dincă, the WM Keck Professor of Energy at MIT.

“And, as you transition to a much higher proportion of electrified vehicles in the consumer market, it’s certainly going to get more expensive.”

About six years ago, Dincă’s lab began working on a project funded by Lamborghini to develop an organic battery that could be used to power electric cars. The team developed a material consisting of many layers of TAQ (bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone), an organic small molecule that contains three fused hexagonal rings. These layers can extend outward in every direction, forming a structure similar to graphite.