PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Enhancing battery performance

In APL Materials paper, researchers show how to keep cathode material 'in line' to enhance performance

2013-11-20
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jason Socrates Bardi
jbardi@aip.org
240-535-4954
American Institute of Physics
Enhancing battery performance In APL Materials paper, researchers show how to keep cathode material 'in line' to enhance performance

WASHINGTON D.C. Nov. 19, 2013 -- The ever-increasing market for portable electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones and MP3 players has resulted in an equally heavy demand for secondary batteries -- more commonly known as rechargeable batteries -- Lithium-ion (Li-ion) being among the most popular.

Scientists and engineers worldwide are seeking ways to improve the power density, durability and overall performance of Lithium-ion batteries, and in a recent paper in the AIP Publishing journal APL Materials, Japanese researchers from a public-private team report an advance in Li-ion battery technology that they describe as a major breakthrough. They fabricated a cathode (positive electrode) of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) in which the compound's individual grains are aligned in a specific orientation. The researchers claim that this yields a significantly higher-performing battery than one with a randomly-oriented LiCoO2 cathode.

Primary, or non-rechargeable, batteries and secondary batteries both produce current through an electrochemical reaction involving a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte (an ion-conducting material). However, apply an outside current to a secondary battery and the negative-to-positive electron flow that occurs during discharge is reversed. This allows the battery to restore lost charge.

"In a lithium-ion battery, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode during discharge and back when charging," said Tohru Suzuki, a co-author on the APL Materials paper. "The material in the cathode has a layered structure to facilitate intercalation [insertion] of the lithium ions; if the structure is oriented in a specific fashion, the lithium ions have better access to the lattice and, in turn, charge-discharge performance is improved."

Using a rotating magnetic field, the researchers were able to fabricate the ideal textured microstructure of the individual LiCoO2 grains making up the cathode: a perpendicular alignment of the c-plane (the vertical side) and a random orientation of the c-axis. Unlike cathodes where the microstructures in both the c-plane and c-axis are randomly oriented, the specialized grains allow easy access for lithium ions while relaxing the stress associated with intercalation.

"This yields a highly efficient flow of electrons in both directions," Suzuki said.



INFORMATION:

Collaborating on the work were researchers from the National Institute for Materials Science (Tsukuba, Japan), the NIMS-Toyota Materials Center of Excellence for Sustainable Mobility (Tsukuba, Japan) and Toyota Motor Corporation's Higashifuji Technical Center (Susono, Japan).

The article, "Ideal design of textured LiCoO2 sintered electrode for Li-ion secondary battery" by Hideto Yamada, Tohru S. Suzuki, Tetsuo Uchikoshi, Masato Hozumi, Toshiya Saito and Yoshio Sakka appears in the journal APL Materials. See: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4824042

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

APL Materials is a new open access journal featuring original research on significant topical issues within the field of materials science. See: http://aplmaterials.aip.org



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The human health costs of losing natural systems: Quantifying Earth's worth to public health

2013-11-20
The human health costs of losing natural systems: Quantifying Earth's worth to public health Scientists urge focus on new branch of environmental health A new paper from members of the HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages) consortium delineates a new ...

Obesity and nutrition are keys to avoiding metabolic syndrome

2013-11-20
Obesity and nutrition are keys to avoiding metabolic syndrome MINNEAPOLIS, MN – November 19, 2013 – Data reported by the Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project reinforce the positive influence of lifestyle factors in mitigating risks that ...

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013 news tips

2013-11-20
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013 news tips Disappearing stent continues protection for 3 years Propping open clogged heart arteries with a "disappearing stent" has worked well for three years in the first people implanted with the unique device, according to research presented ...

Holistic cell design leads to high-performance, long cycle-life Li/S battery

2013-11-20
Holistic cell design leads to high-performance, long cycle-life Li/S battery Berkeley Lab battery a promise for mobile, and eventually, electric vehicles with 300-mile range Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ...

Holiday shopping online: Don't overwhelm consumers with too many images

2013-11-20
Holiday shopping online: Don't overwhelm consumers with too many images If presented with looking at an image or reading a paragraph describing the same product, consumers often prefer the visual option. However, according to a new study in the Journal ...

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria turns immune system against itself

2013-11-20
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria turns immune system against itself Around 20 percent of all humans are persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of skin infections and one of the major sources of hospital-acquired ...

See a Honda, buy a Mountain Dew? What happens when consumers fast-forward through commercials?

2013-11-20
See a Honda, buy a Mountain Dew? What happens when consumers fast-forward through commercials? Consumers are bombarded with advertising throughout the course of any given day, often to the point where they rarely devote any conscious attention to processing ...

DIY for the holidays: Why do consumers enjoy gifts that require work?

2013-11-20
DIY for the holidays: Why do consumers enjoy gifts that require work? From gourmet cooking to assembling a flower bouquet, consumers thrive in a creative environment. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests a greater sense of appreciation ...

Slackers unite: How fundraisers convert social supporters into socially active citizens

2013-11-20
Slackers unite: How fundraisers convert social supporters into socially active citizens Although somewhat counterintuitive, it turns out that those who support a cause anonymously tend to be more meaningfully supportive of the cause than those who offer ...

The semantics behind the sale price: When does the 'original' price matter?

2013-11-20
The semantics behind the sale price: When does the 'original' price matter? Consumers love a sale. In fact, when asked what makes a sale appealing, most simply say, "The price was good." But this answer fails to acknowledge that subjective factors also ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Enhancing battery performance
In APL Materials paper, researchers show how to keep cathode material 'in line' to enhance performance