Graphitic carbon nitride boosts lithium-ion battery power in early tests

Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have reported a way to improve how lithium-ion batteries deliver power. As reported by The Korea Times, the team added a small amount of graphitic carbon nitride to the battery’s cathode.

A thicker cathode could store more energy in a battery of the same size and weight, but it can also make it harder for lithium ions to move. In tests, the added material produced a 166% increase in capacity during high-rate discharge and raised power density by up to 2.85 times.

These results do not mean a larger capacity in mAh. Instead, they indicate that the battery can deliver more of its charge under heavy loads and for longer. That could be relevant to electric vehicles, home energy storage, drones, gaming laptops, workstations, and robots.

KRICT President Shin Seok-min said the approach could potentially be used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and robotics. The technology remains at an early stage, and the researchers have not yet tested whether thicker cathodes would provide more mAh capacity in the same space. The next challenge is scaling up the technology.