The race is definitely on to replace lithium-ion batteries highly dependent on cobalt and lithium. Mining.Com released breaking news about high energy, inexpensive croconic batteries on May 3, 2022. This touched on work by researchers at Japan’s Tohoku University in Sendai Miyagi, and University of California, Los Angeles.
More about Inexpensive, High Energy Croconic Batteries
The research paper in Wiley Online Library – see link below – explains organic batteries exploit naturally abundant elements. Moreover, these include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen for example, as opposed to rare metals including lithium and cobalt.
In addition, these organic batteries have greater theoretical capacities than conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, most prototypes have to date only delivered potential in the one-two-three volt range because of practical limitations. Therefore, we need breakthrough technology that delivers higher potential.
The researchers at Japan’s Tohoku University, and University of California, LA set about discovering a material to achieve this. Then they found their match in croconic acid, which delivers a theoretical 4 volts as lithium-ion battery cathode material.
What Is Croconic Acid and Where Is It From?
Croconic acid is a compound derived from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Hence it is potentially far less expensive than any rare metal. Mining.Com describes it as having five carbon atoms bonded to each other in a pentagonal form, with each of the carbons bonded to oxygen.
“We investigated the electrochemical behavior of croconic acid in the high-voltage range above 3 volts,” the researchers explain. They discovered croconic acid stores lithium ions at a theoretical density greater than most inorganic and organic lithium-ion batteries.
However, they failed to achieve this in their study in practical terms. None the less they are optimistic this is possible with the right stable electrolyte. Therefore for now these insights provide a tantalizing glimpse of what might become possible in future.
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Preview Image: Croconic Acid Two Schematics
