Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) have developed a new class of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, presenting a promising and viable alternative to cobalt-based designs.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology’s Nano mission programme and conducted in collaboration with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at NIT Rourkela, it addresses challenges associated with the high cost, scarcity, and environmental concerns of cobalt, a key component in conventional lithium-ion batteries.

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The research team, led by Dr Partha Saha (Associate Professor, Ceramic Engineering), includes Prof Sanjoy Datta (Associate Professor), Dr Soumyasree Jena (Research Graduate), and Abhishek Kumar (Research Scholar), and has created cobalt-free cathode materials using magnesium and nickel.

Lithium-ion batteries, which power devices like smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs), predominantly use cobalt-based cathodes. However, cobalt presents several challenges, including its high cost and price volatility, limited availability, with major sources in countries like Cuba, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea, and significant environmental and ethical concerns associated with its extraction. These issues are becoming increasingly critical as the demand for EVs and lithium-ion batteries continues to grow. Projections indicate that by 2050, the global supply of cobalt may not meet the rising demand, underscoring the urgent need to develop alternative materials.

The research team developed magnesium-based cathode materials and their patented work (Patent No. 554274, Application No. 202431014198) demonstrates that magnesium can effectively replace cobalt in cathode structures without compromising performance.

Magnesium is affordable, abundant, and widely available in India and is environment friendly thus reducing the ecological impact of battery production.

“The new cathode retains 74.3% of its original capacity after 100 charge-discharge cycles and minimises the cationic disorder of nickel in lithium sites,” Dr Saha said.

This breakthrough has wide-ranging implications and applications pave the way to produce affordable, high-performance batteries for electric vehicles, contributing significantly to the growing EV industry. It also reduces dependency on imported materials and allows self-reliance thereby strengthening the country’s position in the global energy market, he concluded.