The MIT study has created a new model, called the Coupled Ion-Electron Transfer (CIET) model, to advance lithium-ion batteries.
The new model redefines the fundamental chemical reaction known as intercalation.
The performance of lithium-ion batteries is dictated by the speed at which lithium ions “intercalate,” or insert themselves, into a solid electrode.
It governs how quickly a battery can charge and discharge, but the exact mechanism controlling this speed has been unclear.
A new study from MIT involved measuring the rates at which lithium ions insert into various battery materials and using that data to create a revised model for this process.
The model suggests that the rate is controlled by coupled ion-electron transfer. In this reaction, “an electron is transferred to the electrode along with a lithium ion.”
The model could pave the way for powerful and faster charging lithium-ion batteries.
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