New nickel-iron battery charges in seconds, survives 12,000 cycles

An international research collaboration co-led by UCLA has developed a nickel-iron battery prototype that recharges in seconds and maintains its performance for over 12,000 cycles. This endurance is equivalent to more than 30 years of daily recharges.

“The technology’s fast charging, high output and robust endurance suggest a good fit for storing excess electricity generated at solar farms during the daytime, to power the grid at night,” explained the researchers. 

“It may also be useful for backup power at data centers.”

However, this technology does not yet match the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

The technology uses nickel and iron clusters smaller than 5 nanometers, meaning 10,000 to 20,000 clusters could fit within the width of a human hair. 

By using these dimensions, the researchers increased the electrode surface area, allowing almost every atom to participate in the chemical reaction. This efficiency enables the battery to reach a full charge in seconds rather than the seven hours required by historical versions of the technology.

Innovation through biological templates

This development builds on a concept from 1900, when electric vehicles outnumbered gas-powered cars but were limited to a 30-mile range. Thomas Edison previously attempted to improve this using nickel-iron chemistry to reach a 100-mile range, but the technology was ultimately superseded by internal combustion engines. 

The new UCLA prototype utilizes 2D graphene and proteins to overcome the conductivity issues that previously limited this battery type.

The research team used proteins from beef production as templates to grow the metal clusters. These proteins were mixed with graphene oxide, a material one atom thick.

The mixture was superheated in water and then baked at high temperatures, which converted the proteins into carbon and embedded the nickel and iron clusters into the structure. The resulting material is an aerogel composed of 99% air by volume.

The performance of the battery is derived from its high surface area. Because the graphene aerogel is thin and porous, there is substantial space for chemical reactions. As the metal particles shrink into nanoclusters, the ratio of surface area to volume increases. 

This allows for faster charging and discharging speeds compared to traditional battery designs, as the ions have shorter distances to travel and more sites to bond with.

Scalability for future applications

The researchers are currently investigating the use of other metals with this nanocluster fabrication technique. They are also testing natural polymers as more abundant replacements for bovine proteins to facilitate potential manufacturing. 

“Because this technology could extend the lifetime of batteries to decades upon decades, it might be ideal for storing renewable energy or quickly taking over when power is lost,” concluded study co-author Maher El-Kady in the press release. . 

“This would remove worries about the changing cost of infrastructure.”

Due to its durability and rapid response time, the team expects the technology to be used to stabilize power grids and manage the intermittent output of renewable energy sources.