High-energy cathode in carbon fibre structural battery

Journal article, 2025

The integration of energy storage with structural functionality is a transformative approach to overcoming the limitations of conventional lithium-ion batteries, which rely on inert components that add weight without contributing to mechanical integrity. An all-carbon fibre-based structural battery employing lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC111) as a high-energy-density cathode material is demonstrated. By leveraging the mechanical stiffness of ≥294 GPa and electrical conductivity ∼800 S/cm of T800 carbon fibres, a multifunctional electrode system is fabricated using an environmentally sustainable electrodeposition technique. Electrochemical characterization in half cell and full cell configurations confirms reversible redox reactions and efficient charge transport within a biphasic solid-liquid structural battery electrolyte (SBE). The full cell design, featuring pristine T800 carbon fibre as the anode and NMC111-coated T800 carbon fibre cathode, achieves a specific capacity of 56 mAh/g with an energy density of 187 Wh/kg in liquid electrolyte and 25 mAh/g with an energy density of 84 Wh/kg in SBE. This high-performance integration showcases the potential of structural batteries for multifunctional energy storage, while also validating the structural battery concept by confirming the compatibility of SBE with various battery chemistries and highlighting its versatility for diverse energy storage applications.