Reducing future cobalt consumption by developing zero-cobalt cathode materials (ZCOCA)

Cobalt (Co) is the key component for stabilizing the structure of cathode materials in Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and 74% of LIB cathode electrode contains Co.

However, due to the high demand from industry, low abundance and geopolitical issues, Co has the highest price and has the highest risk in the material supply chain.

In addition, the refinement process of Co will produce a large number of life-threatening pollutants and the factories employ child labours for higher profit. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the usage of Co in LIBs. The biggest challenge to achieve zero-Co LIBs is how to replace Co without sacrificing the performance.

In this project, I propose a multi-component (high-entropy) doping strategy to produce zero-Co cathode materials with high performance and long lifetime.

This strategy can fabricate Co-free layered cathodes with superior structural, thermal and mechanical stabilities and long cycle life.

The concept of high-entropy doping is expected to guide the design and deployment of safe, long-life and high-energy-density electrodes for next-generation LIBs.

The project will also fundamentally advance our knowledge on chemistry and material science through in-situ study of crystal growth and electrochemical reaction mechanisms.

The implementation of this project can reduce the consumption of Co globally and contribute to the global efforts to create a clean environment and to Sweden’s net-zero CO2 emission goal by 2045.