Overview
- A Stanford-led collaboration reports a reversible five-electron redox in a lithium–iron–antimony–oxygen cathode, as detailed in Nature Materials.
- Electrochemical tests showed stable cycling after the team synthesized 300–400 nanometer particles grown from solution that let the structure bend rather than collapse.
- Detailed X-ray spectral modeling found the additional two electrons originate from oxygen with assistance from iron, indicating a cooperative redox process.
- The study was led by Stanford PhD students Hari Ramachandran, Edward Mu, and Eder Lomeli, working with 23 researchers across U.S. universities, national labs, and partners in Japan and South Korea.
- Researchers are now addressing engineering steps for practical use, including replacing antimony and tuning particle morphology, with the aim of reducing reliance on cobalt and nickel in future cathodes.