Water Containing Battery Electrolyte Could Enable Cheaper, Easier to Produce Batteries For scientists w of batteries
For scientists working to create the next generation of batteries, water has typically been the enemy. For example, lithium-ion batteries typically need to be produced under extremely dry conditions for them to hold large amounts of charge. But a new discovery may show that a specific type of lithium-ion battery can literally hold water.
Because lithium-ion batteries are “dry-cell” batteries, they can only contain trace amounts of moisture, which requires the need for special manufacturing facilities. However, by using an electrolyte composed of two kinds of salts — a lithium salt and an ionic liquid — the team was able to create a situation in which vastly more water molecules could be stably absorbed by the electrolyte.
Even small quantities of water degrade battery performance. This is because water molecules next to water molecules next to water molecules — nanoscale “puddles” — react with the electrolyte itself, generating corrosive byproducts that eat away at the battery. “Even at the electrode surfaces, which are susceptible to water clustering, our atomistic simulations show that the single water molecules are very stable,” Jiang said.
This study provides a potential pathway for battery manufacturers to incorporate water in the battery fabrication process, allowing for lower-cost, more environmentally friendly manufacturing, according to Zhang.
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