Laser Treatment Enhances Battery Performance

Aug 16, 2023

As the world shifts towards renewable energy sources, the need for high-performance rechargeable batteries to store intermittent energy becomes crucial. While lithium-ion batteries are currently used, their performance still requires improvement. One way to enhance their capabilities is by developing new electrode materials.

Researchers at KAUST have demonstrated the use of laser pulses to modify the structure of an alternative electrode material called MXene, resulting in improved energy capacity and other key properties. MXene is composed of layers of transition metals like titanium or molybdenum bonded to carbon or nitrogen atoms, making the material highly conducting and offering lithium storage capacity.

However, MXenes based on molybdenum carbide experience performance degradation over time due to the formation of molybdenum oxide within the material’s structure. To address this issue, the researchers utilized infrared laser pulses to create nanodots of molybdenum carbide within the MXene, a process known as laser scribing. These nanodots provided additional storage capacity for lithium and accelerated the charging and discharging process.

The laser treatment also reduced the material’s oxygen content, preventing the formation of problematic molybdenum oxide. Additionally, the strong connections between the nanodots and the layers improved the MXene’s conductivity and stabilized its structure during charging and discharging. The resulting laser-scribed material exhibited a four-fold increase in electrical storage capacity compared to the original MXene.

In testing, the researchers created an anode from the laser-scribed material and subjected it to 1000 charge-discharge cycles in a lithium-ion battery, observing no loss in capacity. They believe that laser scribing could be applied to enhance the properties of other MXenes, leading to the development of rechargeable batteries that utilize cost-effective and abundant metals like sodium and potassium.

The findings of this study provide a promising strategy for improving battery performance and advancing the next generation of rechargeable batteries.