Rechargeable batteries often go unnoticed, yet they are essential in powering our modern lives, from smartphones to electric vehicles. The quest for sustainable rechargeable batteries hinges on enhancing their charge retention, extending their lifespan, and ensuring their safety. This is where the potential of all-solid-state batteries shines brightest.
The challenge lies in identifying solid electrolytes that offer these potential advantages.
Taking a significant step towards this objective, a research team at Osaka Metropolitan University, led by Assistant Professor Kota Motohashi, Associate Professor Atsushi Sakuda, and Professor Akitoshi Hayashi of the Graduate School of Engineering, has developed an electrolyte with exceptional conductivity, formability, and electrochemical stability.
By incorporating tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) into the existing solid electrolyte NaTaCl6, the team has achieved remarkable conductivity at room temperature.
The newly discovered solid electrolyte, Na2.25TaCl4.75O1.25, not only exhibits higher electrochemical stability compared to conventional chlorides but also boasts superior mechanical properties. This breakthrough paves the way for exciting advancements in solid-state electrolyte technology.
“The results of this research are expected to make a significant contribution to the development of composite solid electrolytes, in addition to the glass and crystal solid electrolytes that have been developed to date,” Professor Motohashi suggested. “We will now be focusing on elucidating the ionic conduction mechanism of composite solid electrolytes and further developing materials.”
Journal reference:
- Kota Motohashi, Hirofumi Tsukasaki, Shigeo Mori, Atsushi Sakuda, Akitoshi Hayashi. Fast Sodium-Ion Conducting Amorphous Oxychloride Embedding Nanoparticles. Chemistry of Materials, 2024; DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c02104
