Researchers at TU Wien (Vienna) have developed a groundbreaking oxygen-ion battery, which boasts exceptional durability, eliminates the need for rare elements, and solves the problem of fire hazards.
March 2023 A new type of battery has been invented at TU Wien (Vienna): The oxygen-ion battery can be extremely durable, does not require rare elements and solves the problem of fire hazards. Prof. Jürgen Fleig, Tobias Huber, Alexander Schmid (left to right) Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous today - from electric cars to smartphones.
Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology have discovered an interesting new battery technology: the oxygen-ion battery (OIB) based on ceramic materials. Its most attractive feature is an ability to regenerate itself with ambient oxygen, which provides the potential for an extremely long service life.
What are the advantages of oxygen-ion batteries?
TU Wien has now succeeded in developing an oxygen-ion battery that has some important advantages. Although it does not allow for quite as high energy densities as the lithium-ion battery, its storage capacity does not decrease irrevocably over time: it can be regenerated and thus may enable an extremely long service life.
Can oxygen ion batteries be used for energy storage?
In addition, oxygen-ion batteries can be produced without rare elements and are made of incombustible materials. The oxygen-ion battery could be an excellent solution for large energy storage systems, for example to store electrical energy from renewable sources. This salt battery revolutionizes renewable energy storage
The oxygen-ion battery's solid state electrolyte uses a ceramic material with high oxygen ion conductivity, enabling the migration of oxygen ions between the cathode and anode while preventing electronic conduction. The researchers used yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single-crystal electrolytes.
Are oxygen-ion batteries better than lithium ion?
Although it does not allow for quite as high energy densities as the lithium-ion battery, its storage capacity does not decrease irrevocably over time: it can be regenerated and thus may enable an extremely long service life. In addition, oxygen-ion batteries can be produced without rare elements and are made of incombustible materials.