The goal is to slow down ageing – in batteries
Lithium-ion batteries. Photo: Getty Images.
Batteries play an important role in combating global warming. Professor Erik Berg is investigating how we can make the technology more sustainable.
Erik Berg, Professor at Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
Your laptop and smartphone are powered by lithium-ion batteries. The same applies to electric vehicles.
“In the transport sector, lithium-ion batteries will dominate completely for the foreseeable future,” says Erik Berg, professor at the Department of Chemistry – Ångström, Structural Chemistry.
These batteries can store the most energy per volume and weight, and their lifespan is unbeatable – they look set to last as long as the vehicles themselves, i.e. 20–25 years. Erik Berg’s research group is collaborating with industry to further develop lithium-ion batteries, both in terms of lifespan and safety.
“The research projects are based on fundamental questions, such as processes and materials that we know work, but not how they work,” says Erik Berg.
To find out, they use model systems that separate the battery’s internal processes so that they can study one aspect at a time in detail. This allows them to understand what individual molecules and atoms do in the systems. Erik Berg’s research also looks to the future.
“Solar cells and wind turbines are already the cheapest forms of energy we have today. The big challenge is storing energy,” says Erik Berg.
Lithium-ion batteries also work well here, but they will not be cost-effective enough for energy storage to become widespread. Erik Berg is therefore studying alternative battery chemistries such as manganese-zinc and iron-air.
“The challenges here are related to lifespan. An iron-air battery only lasts for a week or so.”
Just as we humans age as a result of mutations in our cells, side effects in the charging and discharging process drive the ageing of batteries. With the help of spectroscopy and highly sensitive scales, among other things, Erik Berg is trying to understand how ageing can be delayed.
“If we are to succeed in curbing global warming, we need to work on several levels. Improving technology so that it becomes more sustainable than it is today is an important component,” he says.
While Erik Berg’s research focuses on the inside of the battery, others in the Fossil-free Energy research area are studying systems outside the battery.
“We are well placed to connect individual components such as batteries to larger systems, which is necessary in order to make progress. This gives both research and teaching a holistic perspective.”
Sigrid Asker