Faraday Institution 3D-CAT project
(c) John Cairns Photography
Earlier this month, Sarah Jones MP (now Minister of State for Policing and Crime) announced that The Faraday Institute will invest £3M in two research projects, to commence on 1 October. One of the projects will be led by Professor Robert House: '3D-CAT' (Accelerated Development of Next Generation Lithium-rich 3D Cathode Materials).
The project is seeking to develop novel, partially ordered Li-rich 3D cathode materials from first principles, through to synthesis at 100g scale and validation in single layer pouch cells.
Changes to the cathode are a route to significant improvements in future lithium-ion battery performance. The development of new cathode materials that outperform lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese ion phosphate (LMFP) cathodes without requiring costly, geographically concentrated precursors or impractical synthesis routes, and that have performance to rival lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC) hold substantial disruptive potential for the UK. Among the best material in this class are lithium-rich disordered rocksalts. 3D-CAT builds on recent research that has revealed that partial (local) ordering of lithium and transition metal elements in the crystal lattice of disordered rocksalts can influence the 3D structure of the lithium-ion transport network and improve how fast the battery can be charged or deliver its energy during use.
"This funding will enable us to develop a deeper understanding of local structure in disordered Li-rich cathodes and unlock the full potential of this novel class of battery materials for commercial use".
Professor Robert House
You can read more about this exciting new project on the University of Oxford's news page: 'New project aims to unlock next generation cathode materials for tomorrow's batteries'.
