Researchers in South Korea invented a gel material that triples EV battery life when they're charged at high voltages and dramatically lowers explosion risks, reported Advanced Energy Materials.

The innovation solves a persistent problem in EV battery engineering. Higher charging voltages pack more power into batteries, but this destabilizes oxygen within the cathode. That unstable oxygen converts to reactive oxygen species, which make batteries swell, wear out quickly, and risk exploding.

Professor Song Hyun-gon at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology led the team that developed the anthracene-based gel electrolyte. Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and the Korea Electronics Technology Institute collaborated to design a material that prevents reactive oxygen from ever developing.

The gel uses anthracene molecules to grab unstable oxygen atoms where the electrode meets the electrolyte, stopping them from pairing up. Paired oxygen atoms create oxygen dimers, the building blocks of reactive oxygen species. The anthracene also traps reactive oxygen after it forms, creating two layers of defense.

Another ingredient in the gel, nitrile functional groups, holds nickel atoms in place within the cathode. This stops the cathode from losing its shape or shedding nickel.

"What sets this study apart is that it blocks the generation stage of reactive oxygen species itself," said lead author Lee Jeong-in. "Previously, efforts were made to neutralize reactive oxygen species after they had formed with antioxidants, or to suppress oxygen generation by manipulating the electrode."

Testing proved the gel's value. 

Batteries with the gel maintained 81% of their original power after 500 full charges at 4.55 volts. Regular batteries dropped to 80% capacity in just 180 full charges. Once capacity drops to 80%, batteries no longer perform well enough for vehicle use, so this gel multiplies battery life by about 2.8 times.

The gel also cut down on swelling. Conventional batteries expanded by 85 micrometers in tests, but gel-equipped batteries grew just 13 micrometers (roughly one-sixth the expansion).

Batteries that last longer mean EV owners can drive their cars for more years without replacements, which cuts down on waste. Safer batteries make electric vehicles more dependable for everyday driving.

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"We showed that oxygen reactions in high-voltage batteries can be directly controlled at the electrolyte design stage," Song said. "This principle could be applied to the development of lightweight lithium-ion batteries for aerospace and large-capacity energy storage systems in the future."

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