Light Enables Fast Charging of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have uncovered a new way to increase the speed of charging electric vehicles.  When the battery cathode in the electric vehicle is exposed to concentrated light, the overall charging time is reduced by at least a factor of two.  This phenomenon occurs due to the interaction between light and the material of the tested cathode, lithium manganese oxide or LiMn₂O₄ (LMO).  The manganese in the cathode absorbs photons of light, increasing its charge state from trivalent (Mn³⁺) to tetravalent (Mn⁴⁺), which then results in the ejection of lithium ions from the cathode faster than an unilluminated one.  Now that this photonic relationship has been identified, electric vehicles charging stations can improve their performance and offer greater incentives to switch over to electric vehicles as the primary form of consumer transportation.

Artist representation of concentrated light interacting with a battery cathode for faster charging. Source: Argonne National Laboratory

Lithium battery materials for research and development, such as cathode, anode, and solid-state electrolyte materials, can be found at MSE Supplies.  These materials include all the core components of a functional lithium battery, from MCMB Mesocarbon graphite powder to NMC cathode powder to solid-state electrolyte materials like LLZO, argyrodite, and many more.  The solid-state electrolyte materials are state-of-the-art, proprietary compounds synthesized by our partner company, Ampcera.