New nickel-iron battery charges in seconds, survives 12,000 cycles

An international research team co-led by UCLA has developed a nickel-iron battery prototype that can fully recharge in seconds and sustain over 12,000 charge cycles, equating to more than 30 years of daily use. This breakthrough is achieved by using nickel and iron nanoclusters smaller than 5 nanometers embedded in a graphene aerogel structure, which significantly increases the electrode surface area and allows nearly every atom to participate in the chemical reaction. The battery’s rapid charging and long lifespan make it well-suited for applications such as storing excess solar energy for nighttime grid use and providing backup power for data centers. However, its energy density still falls short compared to lithium-ion batteries. The innovation builds on early 20th-century nickel-iron battery concepts, overcoming previous conductivity limitations through the use of 2D graphene combined with proteins derived from beef production as biological templates. These proteins, mixed with graphene oxide and processed under heat, form a porous aerogel that is 99% air by volume,