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Prof. Kyu-Young Park's team at GIFT developed a technology that more than doubles the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries that use nickel instead of cobalt with researchers from Northwestern University in the United States. The research team succeeded in coating lithium nickelate (LNO) used on the positive electrode of the battery with graphene to extend the life of the battery.

At Tesla's first Battery Day in September 2020, CEO Elon Musk announced that he would cut prices by more than half with 100% nickel batteries instead of cobalt. However, the nickel-based lithium nickelate (LNO) material is one-third cheaper than cobalt and can increase the battery capacity by 30% or more, but there is a limitation in that it is difficult to use for a long time.

The LNO material is a material that replaces cobalt with nickel in lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), a cathode material for lithium-ion secondary batteries. The positive and negative poles of a lithium-ion battery determine the performance of the battery, and the positive pole mainly determines the capacity and usage time. This is because when LNO materials are used in batteries, the battery's performance deteriorates due to oxygen generated from the surface, and the lifespan is short. Oxygen distorts the structure of the particles, shortening the life of the material. Accordingly, the research team succeeded in extending the lifespan of the LNO material by more than double by covering the surface of the LNO material with graphene, which is also known as the 'dream material' to block oxygen generation.

Prof. Kyu-Young Park said, "Using this research result, the commercialization of cobalt-free LNO material can be accelerated very quickly, and the price of electric vehicles can be lowered and the mileage can be dramatically increased in the future."

This research result was recently selected as a cover paper in the world-renowned academic journal 'Advanced Materials'.​