Forschungszentrum Juelich researchers with American Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have now successfully observed with nano-scale precision how deposits form at the iron electrode during operation. A deeper understanding of the charging and discharging reactions is viewed as the key for the further development of this type of rechargeable battery to gain market maturity. Iron-air batteries promise a considerably higher energy density than present-day lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, their main constituent – iron – is an abundant and therefore quite a low-cost material, The Forschungszentrum Jülich scientists are among the driving forces in the renewed research into this concept that was discovered in the 1970s. Schematic of the measuring method: the tip of the in situ electrochemical atomic force microscope scans the surface of the iron electrode. Laser-beam deflection reveals spatial irregularities, which can be compared to each other over the course of several cycles. For reasons including insurmountable technical […]