Chasing lithium ions on the move in a fast-charging battery
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

A team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has captured in real time how lithium ions move in lithium titanate (LTO), a fast-charging battery electrode material made of lithium, titanium, and oxygen. They discovered that distorted arrangements of lithium and surrounding atoms in LTO `intermediates` (structures of LTO with a lithium concentration in between that of its initial and end states) provide an `express lane` for the transport of lithium ions. Their discovery, reported in the Feb. 28 issue of Science, could provide insights into designing improved battery materials for the rapid charging of electric vehicles and portable consumer electronics such as cell phones and laptops.