Under the leadership of Prof Dr Nicola Pinna and Dr Patrícia Russo from the Department of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin (HU), scientists have succeeded in disrupting the atomic order of batteries in a targeted manner. The result: high-performance anodes for lithium and sodium-ion batteries with exceptionally high charging speed and stability, which represent a decisive step towards safer and longer-lasting energy storage systems.
Utilising imperfection for material design
Until now, the rule for battery materials has been: the more perfect the crystal structure, the better the ion conduction. However, this perfection is often accompanied by structural rigidity, limited ion mobility and poor performance at high charging speeds. In two studies published in the journals Nature Communications and Advanced Materials, researchers have succeeded in reversing this paradigm: Their research shows that targeted disorder - not order - can improve ionic conductivity, increase cycling stability and unlock new battery storage mechanisms. The paradigm shift could redefine material design in this area. "Our results show that targeted use of imperfection can be a powerful tool in material design," says Prof Dr Nicola Pinna. Dr Patrícia Russo adds: "By deliberately breaking the atomic order, we are opening up completely new avenues for more powerful, longer-lasting and therefore more sustainable high-performance batteries."
New prospects for electric cars, data storage and battery technology
Through structural disorder in niobium-tungsten oxides and controlled amorphisation - the transition of the material into a disordered state - in iron niobate, the researchers succeeded in developing new materials for more powerful and longer-lasting batteries. A particularly long-lasting material was produced for lithium-ion batteries: Even after 1,000 charging cycles, a large proportion of the original performance is retained. A new type of material has also been developed for sodium-ion batteries, a more environmentally friendly alternative: It changes significantly when first charged, but retains important structures. This results in a very high storage capacity and a long service life of over 2,600 charging cycles with almost the same performance.
The combination of disordered lithium anodes and amorphous sodium anodes opens up new perspectives for ultra-fast charging electric vehicles, stationary storage solutions for renewable energies and safe alternatives to previous battery technologies. The studies emphasise the potential of atomic design principles to solve global energy problems.
Further information
Liu, Y., Buzanich, A. G., Alippi, P., Montoro, L. A., Lee, K-S., Jeon, T., Wei?er, K., Karlsen, M.A., Russo, P. A., Pinna, N.
'FeNb2O6 as a High-Performance Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries Enabled by Structural Amorphisation Coupled with NbO6 Local Ordering.' Adv. Mater. e04100, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202504100
Contact
Prof. Dr Nicola Pinna and Dr Patrícia Russo
Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin
Phone: +49 30 2093-82782
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