Study finds fluorine as possible substitute for lithium in rechargeable batteries
Modern batteries use lithium and cobalt, but these have a very limited supply.
Materials scientists in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis have found a potential alternative for lithium in fluorine, a relatively abundant and light element. Their research was printed Dec. 7 in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.
Interestingly, the fluoride ion is the mirror opposite of the lithium ion, having the strongest attraction for electrons, which allows it to easily carry out electrochemical reactions. Researchers in Japan also are testing fluoride-ion batteries as possible replacements for lithium-ion batteries in vehicles. They say these batteries could allow electric vehicles to run 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single charge. However, current fluoride-ion batteries have poor cyclability that is, they tend to degrade rapidly with charge-discharge cycles.