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        As the electric vehicle (EV) industry grows, so does the research and development of the high-quality lithium-ion batteries that power them. Research and expansion of fast charging and discharging technologies, as well as extending battery life, are key tasks in its development.
       Several factors, such as electrode-electrolyte interface characteristics, lithium ion diffusion, and electrode porosity, can help overcome these problems and achieve fast charging and extended life.
        Over the past few years, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials (sheet structures a few nanometers thick) have emerged as potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. These nanosheets have a high active site density and high aspect ratio, which contribute to fast charging and excellent cycling characteristics.
        In particular, two-dimensional nanomaterials based on transition metal diborides (TDM) attracted the attention of the scientific community. Thanks to the honeycomb planes of boron atoms and multivalent transition metals, TMDs exhibit high speed and long-term stability of lithium ion storage cycles.
       Currently, a research team led by Prof. Noriyoshi Matsumi of the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Prof. Kabir Jasuja of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar is working to further explore the feasibility of TMD storage.
        The group has conducted the first pilot study on the storage of titanium diboride (TiB2) hierarchical nanosheets (THNS) as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The team included Rajashekar Badam, former JAIST Senior Lecturer, Koichi Higashimin, JAIST Technical Expert, Akash Varma, former JAIST graduate student, and Dr. Asha Lisa James, IIT Gandhinagar student.
       Details of their research have been published in ACS Applied Nano Materials and will be available online on September 19, 2022.
       TGNS was obtained by oxidation of TiB2 powder with hydrogen peroxide followed by centrifugation and lyophilization of the solution.
        What makes our work stand out is the scalability of the methods developed to synthesize these TiB2 nanosheets. To turn any nanomaterial into a tangible technology, scalability is the limiting factor. Our synthetic method requires only agitation and does not require sophisticated equipment. This is due to the dissolution and recrystallization behavior of TiB2, which is an accidental discovery that makes this work a promising bridge from the lab to the field.
       Subsequently, the researchers designed an anode lithium-ion half cell using THNS as the anode active material and investigated the charge storage properties of the THNS-based anode.
        The researchers learned that the THNS-based anode has a high discharge capacity of 380 mAh/g at a current density of only 0.025 A/g. In addition, they observed a discharge capacity of 174mAh/g at a high current density of 1A/g, a capacity retention of 89.7%, and a charge time of 10 minutes after 1000 cycles.
        In addition, THNS-based lithium-ion anodes can withstand very high currents, from about 15 to 20 A/g, providing ultra-fast charging in about 9-14 seconds. At high currents, capacity retention exceeds 80% after 10,000 cycles.
        The results of this study show that 2D TiB2 nanosheets are suitable candidates for fast charging long life lithium-ion batteries. They also highlight the benefits of nanoscale bulk materials such as TiB2 for favorable properties including excellent high speed capability, pseudocapacitive charge storage and excellent cycling performance.
        This fast charging technology can accelerate the popularization of electric vehicles and greatly reduce the waiting time for charging various mobile electronic devices. We hope that our results will inspire further research in this area, which can ultimately bring convenience to EV users, reduce urban air pollution, and alleviate the stress associated with mobile life, thereby increasing the productivity of our society.
       The team expects this remarkable technology to be used in electric vehicles and other electronics soon.
        Varma, A., et al. (2022) Hierarchical nanosheets based on titanium diboride as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Applied nanomaterials ACS. doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.2c03054.
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