Researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) have developed a new battery material that could make renewable energy storage safer, cheaper and more reliable.
The research focuses on aqueous zinc-ion batteries, a new type of battery that uses water-based solutions instead of flammable chemicals. Because of this, they are considered safer and more environmentally friendly than many batteries used today.
Zinc is also widely available and affordable, making it a strong candidate for storing electricity generated from solar panels and wind turbines.
While zinc works well on one side of the battery, finding the right material for the other side, known as the cathode, has been a major challenge. To solve this, the CeNS team created a specially engineered version of molybdenum disulfide, a compound made of molybdenum and sulphur.
By carefully reducing the sulphur content and producing ultra-thin flakes of the material, the researchers improved its ability to store and release energy quickly.
The team produced the material using a controlled heating process. The new design allows electricity to flow more easily inside the battery, helping it charge and discharge more efficiently.
The researchers also identified the safest and most stable operating range for the battery, between 0.2 and 1.3 volts. This step proved crucial in improving performance.
In tests, the battery retained 97.91 per cent of its original capacity even after 500 charge-discharge cycles.
It also showed a Coulombic efficiency of 99.7 per cent, meaning very little energy was lost during operation. To demonstrate its practical use, the team successfully powered a commercial LCD timer using a small coin-cell prototype.
The findings, published in the journal Energy & Fuels by the American Chemical Society, could pave the way for large-scale, affordable storage systems that help balance renewable energy supply on power grids.
