French company NawaTechnologies says it has developed a new electrode design that could radically improve the chemistry of existing and future batteries. The company is already well known in the supercapacitor market. But now the same technology is being applied to lithium-ion batteries. In addition to up to three times the energy density and 10 times the performance, it has a faster charging speed, up to five times the battery life, and is reasonably cost effective.

The research focuses on the way the active material in the electrode is retained and the route the ions take when they transfer charge. Today's typical active carbon electrode, for example, consists of a mixture of powders, additives and adhesives.

In the case of carbon nanotubes, which are usually stuck to them in the form of tangled spaghetti, the current carrying ions are provided with a random, chaotic and often blocked path (towards the collector under load).

Nawa's vertically aligned approach, on the other hand, creates a comb-like cathode or anode structure, with hundreds of billions of straight, highly conductive nanotubes growing out of each square centimetre.

The nanotubes, which are attached to tiny electrodes, can then be coated with an active substance (lithium-ion or otherwise), greatly reducing the distance charge needs to travel into or out of the cell.

Rigid vertical structure can effectively improve power/energy density/charging speed/battery life.

Because each spot of lithium is more or less attached to a nanotube that serves a direct highway (or partial collector) purpose, the average free travel of the ions can be greatly reduced.

PascalBoulanger, the company's founder and chief executive, says the new method allows lithium ions to travel only a few nanometres across the material, rather than micrometres across conventional electrodes.

NawaTechnologies can then radically improve the power density of new lithium-ion batteries. Even smaller batteries can charge and discharge 10 times as much as before. With the right charging infrastructure, it can recharge from 0% to 80% in five minutes.

The battery body can also be lighter and more compact (2-3 times the volume and weight improvement) thanks to ultra-light nanoscaffolds and fewer adhesive/additive gaps. In addition, the rigid nanotube array and wide surface area can greatly mitigate the performance degradation over time (5x lifetime).

Finally, PascalBoulanger said it plans to have some of the new technologies on the market in 2022-2023 through partnerships with lithium companies.