KAIST team develops new electrolyte solvent

A new technology that enables charging an electric vehicle's lithium-ion battery in 15 minutes has been invented.

KAIST announced on Monday that the research team of Professor Choi Nam-soon of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, together with the research team of Professor Hong Seung-beom of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, developed a new electrolyte solvent known as 'isobutyronitrile (isoBN),' and a technology that shortens the electric vehicle battery charging time to under 15 minutes at room temperature.

When the battery is charged, the electrolyte decomposes, and a negative electrode interphase (SEI), a key element of the battery, is created. The previously used electrolyte, called ethylene carbonate, has a high viscosity, and the crystal grains of the negative electrode interphase are large, which hinders the movement of lithium ions. The research team found a way to optimize the movement of lithium ions using the new electrolyte.


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