Battery production is a highly energy and water-intensive process. Lithium-ion batteries, which power everyday devices like smartphones, laptops, watches, and even electric vehicles, are sourced from critical materials like cobalt, graphite, and lithium. Extracting these essential elements requires mining, which requires a lot of energy and water and can have a significant environmental footprint. While mining processes have improved significantly in many parts of the world, researchers are finding even more innovative ways to secure the minerals we need with fewer unwanted byproducts. 

A team from Northwestern University has discovered an innovative energy storage agent for manufacturing batteries that could potentially replace rare metals. The sustainable energy-storage method leverages an organic waste molecule called ​​triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), an industrial byproduct of the chemical industry produced in tens of thousands of tons annually. Up to now, TPPO has been considered useless chemical waste. Now, the molecule will be used to charge redox flow batteries. 

Unlike traditional lithium-based batteries, which store energy in electrodes, redox flow batteries store energy in electrolytes and use a chemical reaction to transfer energy between them. In terms of their applications, the redox flow batteries developed with TPPO are considered a superior option for large-scale grid storage (they are, in contrast, too bulky for use in cars or cellphones). Sustainable batteries are also ideal for storing renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy.

“Battery research has traditionally been dominated by engineers and materials scientists,” Northwestern chemist and lead author Christian Malapit said. “Synthetic chemists can contribute to the field by molecularly engineering an organic waste product into an energy-storing molecule. Our discovery showcases the potential of transforming waste compounds into valuable resources, offering a sustainable pathway for innovation in battery technology.”

The metal-free alternative is derived from a “one-pot” reaction that enables chemists to convert TPPO into a valuable product with strong energy storage potential, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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“Not only can an organic molecule be used, but it can also achieve high-energy density — getting closer to its metal-based competitors — along with high stability,” Emily Mahoney, a Ph.D. candidate in the Malapit lab and the paper’s lead author said. “These two parameters are traditionally challenging to optimize together, so being able to show this for a molecule that is waste-derived is particularly exciting.”

As demand for sustainable batteries and battery alternatives increases, developing eco-friendly solutions for grid-scale energy storage is crucial to decarbonizing the batteries industry and reducing dependence on metal-rich foreign adversaries like China. 

China currently supplies the majority of the world’s rare earths. According to the Center for International Studies, it produces two-thirds of global rare earths and processes nearly 90% of them.

While it is still critical for America to tap into its abundance of critical minerals and work with allies to diversify supply chains, investment, and cost reduction in alternative technologies could play a valuable role. Finding innovative solutions that prioritize American security interests will be essential to breaking China’s monopoly and closing the strategic and technological vulnerability gaps.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.