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Ministry of Education and Science of Russia 15 January 2026 19:06
Scientists at Saratov National Research State University named after N.G. Chernyshevsky have found a way that can change the way batteries work. The atomic model of a three-layer quasi-2D film based on graphene and lithium oxide—phosphate compounds created by them can become the basis for a new generation of batteries – faster, more durable and safer.
The researchers studied a composite with the LVP/graphene/LTO architecture, where vanadium-lithium phosphate is located on top, lithium titanate is located below, and a strong conductive graphene layer lies between them. This three-layer film has demonstrated a rare combination of properties: it is able to hold a large amount of energy and quickly release it to an external load, combining the advantages of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.
The new material is an “energy sandwich”: the upper and lower layers interact with lithium, and graphene in the middle is a thin but extremely durable and conductive “sheet” that holds the entire structure and accelerates the movement of the charge. This combination makes the structure flexible, efficient, and potentially suitable for batteries that can charge faster than modern batteries and last much longer.
During the simulation, the authors used their own methodology for calculating quantum capacitance, a key parameter for accurately predicting future performance. It takes into account how the quantum capacity changes as the number of lithium atoms in the structure changes.
“The method of calculating the quantum capacity, which does not take into account the change in the chemical composition of the system, has been known for a long time. But in order to evaluate the suitability of our material as an electrode not only for a supercapacitor, but also for lithium-ion batteries, it is necessary to evaluate the quantum capacity taking into account changes in composition. This new original technique was developed by us,” said Vladislav Shunaev, one of the authors of the development, Associate Professor of the Department of Radio Engineering and Electrodynamics at SSU.
Thanks to this technique, it was possible to estimate the quantum capacity of a material, an indicator that determines how much charge it is able to accumulate. The results were impressive: up to 868.00 mAh/g and 750.24 mAh/g in different operating modes, which significantly exceeds the characteristics of many traditional electrode materials.
According to scientists, so far the results exist in the form of a computer model. The next step is to synthesize the material in the laboratory and verify the calculations experimentally. If the predictions are confirmed, the new electrode architecture may change the approach to creating batteries in general — from personal electronics to transport systems, as a three-layer composite film can solve three main problems in the operation of phones, laptops and electric vehicles at once.: charging speed, service life and safety.
The development was supported by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science under the Priority 2030 program, as well as a grant from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
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