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Is the future of battery storage here? A new cathode, MoSe_2+x-rGO, may be the key to creating batteries with enhanced energy storage and increased longevity. The research is a key step towards enabling better portable electronic devices and more efficient batteries.

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With an increasing demand for energy storage innovations and portable electronic devices comes an increased need for energy-dense, stable batteries. As energy needs continue to evolve, scientists have been researching building more efficient batteries with high energy storage levels.

may pave the way for much needed alkali metal ion battery developments.

Traversing many battery layers

Layered structures provide a good base for energy storage in batteries. The first piece of the puzzle for this research was molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂), a promising electrode material due to its layered structure. This electrode material also has high levels of chemical stability, can conduct electricity well, and has larger spaces between the layers, all factors contributing to great potential for storing and releasing energy in batteries.

Ting Lei and the team introduced selenium atoms to the material by bond modulation that distribute between the MoSe₂ layers. After linking with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a new cathode was born: MoSe_2+x-rGO.

They found several advantages of the new cathode, including:

• Enlarged spacing between the layers, resulting in increased ease for potassium alkali metal ions to travel in the material – a vital aspect of storing and releasing energy
• A dual reaction mechanism was achieved, allowing the cathode to store energy in two ways. The first is intercalation, allowing potassium ions to insert themselves between the layers of the cathode. The other is conversion, resulting in a chemical reaction that changes the cathode’s structure and the ability to store more potassium ions
• Se atoms are confined in the interlayer. This helps to ensure that any selenium atoms cannot move around, which could cause potential problems for the battery, including poor cycling stability and severe anode corrosion for Li-S batteries

The future of energy storage?

MoSe_2+x-rGO showed a remarkable potassium storage ability, alongside a superior battery power. With its ability to store a large amount of potassium and last for a significant amount of time (300 cycles at 100 mA g^-1), the cathode material could be instrumental in making more powerful, longer lasting batteries.

This discovery from Ting Lei et al may be the key to creating a new generation of power in batteries, with enhanced storage capabilities and better longevity.

This article is free to read in our open access, flagship journal Chemical Science: Ting Lei et al, Chem. Sci., 2023.