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Batteries

Breakthrough in Dual-Ion Battery Technology: A New Method for Enhanced Energy Storage

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from Soochow University in China have developed a novel approach to improve the energy storage capacity of dual-ion batteries (DIBs), a promising technology for high-energy and high-power energy storage systems. The study, published in Advanced Materials, presents a bifunctional cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) construction strategy that not only inhibits electrolyte decomposition but also enhances the mechanical stability of graphite cathodes. This innovative approach has shown exceptional results, with the optimized NG cathode able to withstand fast charge/discharge at 60°C and exhibiting a capacity retention of 80.7% after 10,000 cycles at 2C.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) composed of a graphite cathode and a lithium anode are promising candidates for high-energy and high-power energy storage systems.
  • The graphite cathode undergoes rapid failure during extended cycling and rapid charge/discharge due to its structural breakdown and drastic resistance rise of the cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) arising from the violent electrolyte decomposition at high voltage (4.5-5.0 V).
  • A bifunctional CEI construction strategy is proposed, which not only inhibits electrolyte decomposition but also enhances the mechanical stability of graphite cathodes.
  • Three pH-variable phosphates (LiHPO, LiHPO, and LiPO) are artificially coated on the surface of natural graphite (NG) particles through a green and low-cost wet coating route.
  • The acidic LiHPO coating effectively suppresses electrolyte decomposition through the formation of a conformal coating layer and considerably enhances the mechanical strength of NG cathode via a strong bonding between LiHPO and binder.
  • The underlying mechanisms are elucidated through both theoretical calculations and empirical experiments.
  • The optimized NG cathode demonstrated exceptional capacity retention of 80.7% after 10,000 cycles at 2C.

Statistics:

  • 80.7% capacity retention of the optimized NG cathode after 10,000 cycles at 2C
  • 60°C charge/discharge rate
  • 10,000 cycles at 2C
  • 4.5-5.0 V high voltage operating range
  • 3 pH-variable phosphates (LiHPO, LiHPO, and LiPO) used for coating

Sources:

  • pH-Dependent Phosphates Conformal Coating Enabling 5.0 V Graphite Cathodes Over 10,000 Cycles via Reinforced Mechanical Strength and Optimized Interphase. Advanced Materials, 2025.
  • NewsRx. New Science Findings from Soochow University Described (pH-Dependent Phosphates Conformal Coating Enabling 5.0 V Graphite Cathodes Over 10,000 Cycles via Reinforced Mechanical Strength and Optimized Interphase). Chemicals & Chemistry. October 31, 2025; p 2400.

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