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Researchers at Feng Chia University in Taiwan have developed a procedure to increase the charge-discharge capacity and cycleability of li-ion batteries.

According to the Green Car Congress website researchers at Feng Chia University in Taiwan have developed a procedure to modify the surface of the anode material carbon to increase the charge-discharge capacity and cycleability of carbon electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

The material of the anode is one key part that many researchers try to replace or improve in order to increase the power density, specific capacity, and cyclic efficiency of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. One way to prepare the li-ion batteries for its electric vehicle future could be the development of higher capacity anode materials such as silicon or tin based materials. Another way is to modify the existing anode material and that is what the Taiwanese researchers were working on.

Coated carbon for higher performance and capacity

As carbon is still the predominant commercial anode material solution, they have developed a procedure to modify the surface of the currently used so-called mesophase pitch carbon. After high-temperature treatment, the modified carbon shows the highest first charge and discharge capacities of 426 and 322 mAh g−1, respectively, while the normal mesophase pitch carbon shows the first charge and discharge capacities of only 237 and 206 mAh g−1. In addition, the new material also showed strong cycling performance, with capacity remaining above 250 mAhg-1 at the 60th cycle in comparison to less than 175 mAh g-1 for the mesophase pitch carbon.

In their paper “Mesophase Pitch Carbon Coated with Phenolic Resin for the Anode of Lithium-Ion Batteries”, researchers Lin et al. conclude that the higher initial charge−discharge capacity and cycleability of the new coated material is due to the coating layer that is developed during the high-temperature treatment. It improved compatibility with electrolytes and the outer turbostratic structure provided more sites for Li-ions.

A paper on their work appeared online 4 June in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.