Architecting a Better Lithium-Ion Battery

Researchers at Caltech have developed safer lithium-ion batteries using three-dimensional architected electrodes made from lithium iron phosphate, eliminating cobalt. The innovation, published this week in ACS Energy Letters, solves multiple problems: cobalt mining is unethical and dangerous, the three-dimensional design improves how ions move for better power density, and the resulting batteries are far less likely to catch fire if overcharged. The team's next goal is building a matching anode, eventually leading to solid-state batteries.

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