Scientists have taken another step toward producing more efficient lithium-ion batteries

Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have discovered the first combination of copper and graphite, which they believe may have an impact on improving the energy efficiency of lithium-ion batteries.

This finding occurred after they bombarded graphite with ions in an ultra-high vacuum environment to create surface defects. Copper is then deposited on the ion bombarded graphite while maintaining it at a high temperature of 600-800K. The synthetic route produces a multilayer copper island that is completely covered by a graphene layer.

“Copper is a highly conductive material, but it is easily oxidized. It can be successfully embedded into the graphite surface to protect copper and offers many potential applications, including battery technology,” research assistant AnnLii-Rosales said in a press release.

Dozens of researchers have spent much of their research work, and lii-rosales published their findings in a paper titled "the formation of multilayered copper islands beneath the surface of graphite: characterization and basic insights." It was just published in the journal of physical chemistry.

In the same media statement, the scientists explained that the study was a discovery discovered last year when a team in the same laboratory encapsulated a magnetic rare earth metal ruthenium under a single layer of graphene. Encouraged by their success, they began experimenting with the possibility of using other elements such as copper.

PatThiel, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University, said: "We are very excited about this because we didn't expect it." He also works at Ames Lab. “Copper does not seem to have a strong interaction with graphite materials at all, so this is a big surprise. It really requires us to understand the reasons and mechanisms involved.”

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