Reverse aging in lithium batteries: China’s precision therapy to extend EV cell life
The new technique, which involves injecting a lithium-ion carrier molecule into old batteries, has been found to extend their life beyond 12,000 discharge cycles.
Chinese researchers have come up a new ‘precision therapy’ for old lithium-ion batteries to restore them to near factory-fresh condition. Developed by a team at Fudan University in Shanghai, the method could extend battery life beyond 12,000 discharge cycles.
This could have huge implications across several sectors, including electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones and energy-storage facilities. Such technology would prove revolutionary for batteries typically lasting between 1,000 and 1,500 cycles (around six to eight years of use).
The new technology relies on a lithium carrier molecule, which can be injected into old batteries to replenish lost lithium ions. Likened to precision surgery in human beings, this new method could extend battery life and offer important benefits for reducing battery waste and environmental pollution.
Regenerative ‘surgery’ for lithium batteries
“Just like treating a human illness, we focused on repairing the battery’s core issue while preserving its healthy components,” Gao Yue from Fudan University explained. “This carrier molecule can be ‘injected’ into deteriorating batteries to precisely replenish lost lithium ions, providing a ‘precision treatment’,” said Gao.
“The structure of this molecule is quite simple, with lithium electrons at one end and the rest of it acting like a vehicle that transports lithium electrons into the aging battery. The vehicle component is eventually discharged as gas,” he added.