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Next-generation batteries could go organic, cobalt-free for long-lasting power

<p>In the switch to &ldquo;greener&rdquo; energy sources, the demand for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is surging. However, their cathodes typically contain cobalt &mdash; a metal whose extraction has high environmental and societal costs. Now, researchers in <em>ACS Central Science</em> report evaluating an earth-abundant, carbon-based cathode material that could replace cobalt and other scarce and toxic metals without sacrificing lithium-ion battery performance.</p>

Now, researchers in ACS Central Science report evaluating an earth-abundant, carbon-based cathode material that could replace cobalt and other scarce and toxic metals without sacrificing lithium-ion battery performance. One of the limiting factors for realizing a global shift to energy produced by renewable sources — particularly for the transition from gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles — is the scarcity and mining difficulty of the metals, such as cobalt, nickel and magnesium, used in rechargeable battery cathode manufacturing. Previous researchers have developed cathodes from more abundant and lower cost carbon-containing materials, including organosulfur and carbonyl compounds, but those prototypes couldn’t match the energy output and stability of traditional lithium-ion batteries.

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