'Nanoscoop' technology for high-power Li-ion batteries

The new material, dubbed a ’nanoscoop’ because its shape resembles a cone with a scoop of ice cream on top, can withstand extremely high rates of charge and discharge that would cause conventional electrodes used in today’s Li-ion batteries to rapidly deteriorate and fail. The nanoscoop’s success lies in its unique material composition, structure, and size.

The Rensselaer research team, led by Prof Nikhil Koratkar in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, has demonstrated how the nanoscoop electrode could be charged and discharged at a rate 40 to 60 times faster than conventional battery anodes, while maintaining a comparable energy density.

This performance, which was achieved over 100 continuous charge/discharge cycles, has the team confident that its new technology holds significant potential for the design and realisation of high-power, high-capacity Li-ion rechargeable batteries.

Batteries for all-electric vehicles must deliver high power densities in addition to high energy densities, Koratkar said. These vehicles today use supercapacitors to perform power-intensive functions, such as starting the vehicle and rapid acceleration, in conjunction with conventional batteries that deliver high energy density for normal cruise driving and other operations. Koratkar said the invention of nanoscoops may enable these two separate systems to be combined into a single, more efficient battery unit.