A major leap forward in battery technology has just come out of Concordia University, and it’s the work of Nigerian researcher Babajide Oluwagbenga Fatile. His research team has discovered that doping niobium tungsten oxide with nickel dramatically improves the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion battery anodes, one of the most critical components in modern rechargeable batteries. This innovation promises faster charging, longer battery life, and improved stability, addressing critical challenges in renewable energy storage and electric vehicle technology. This holds significant promise for both global innovation and Nigeria’s emerging energy sector.
In a landmark discovery that could transform the future of lithium-ion battery technology, Nigerian-born researcher Babajide Oluwagbenga Fatile has developed a groundbreaking method for improving battery performance using a unique nickel-doped nanowire structure. The research, published in Materials Chemistry and Physics, offers a sustainable, safer, and more efficient alternative to current battery technologies.
For years, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have powered everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. But despite their widespread use, they are still not without limitations. One of the main drawbacks has been the performance of the anode, the negative electrode in a battery. Currently, graphite is the industry standard, but it comes with downsides such as safety risks from lithium dendrites, capacity degradation, and environmental concerns.
Oluwagbenga, working with Professor Martin Pugh and Professor Mamoun Medraj at Concordia University’s Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Aerospace Engineering, tackled this issue head-on. Their research focused on an alternative material, niobium tungsten oxide (Nb₁₈W₁₆O₉₃), a ceramic oxide already known for its high theoretical capacity and structural stability. While niobium tungsten oxide itself has been known in research circles for years, its poor electronic conductivity has consistently limited its potential. Oluwagbenga’s method, which combines nanostructuring and nickel doping, directly addresses this bottleneck.
Oluwagbenga’s team synthesized ultra-thin niobium tungsten oxide nanowires and doped them with precise amounts of nickel. This resulted in anode material with not only improved specific capacity but also maintained outstanding capacity retention after hundreds of cycles. The key improvements came in lithium-ion diffusion, electronic conductivity, and structural stability, which are among the dominant factors that dictate how fast, safe, and long-lasting a battery can be. The nickel-doped anode retained over 93% of its capacity after 500 complete charge-discharge cycles at a high current rate, remarkably stable for such a rigorous test. It also showed a much higher lithium-ion diffusion coefficient than its undoped counterpart, and a significantly reduced charge transfer resistance, meaning it charged faster and reduced energy loss.
“In essence,” Oluwagbenga explains, “we gave the material a performance boost by modifying its atomic structure. The nickel ions introduced beneficial distortions in the lattice and enhanced the lithium ions’ diffusion coefficient.” According to Oluwagbenga, this project is just the beginning. “There’s a lot of potential to optimize the doping levels or even explore co-doping with other elements. But already, we’ve shown that niobium tungsten oxide can compete with commercial anode materials, if not outperform them in key metrics.”
Why This Matters to Nigeria
Oluwagbenga’s work has global implications, but it also presents a massive opportunity for Nigeria. The country is rich in critical minerals that are essential to this new battery technology. For years, these resources have been exported raw, with minimal local beneficiation or value addition. This discovery offers a strategic plan for developing a homegrown battery industry in Nigeria, centred around its mineral wealth. With proper investment and research infrastructure, Nigeria could begin producing high-performance anode materials, attract battery manufacturers, and plug directly into the growing global market for energy storage.
Moreover, this breakthrough aligns perfectly with Nigeria’s ambitions for a just energy transition. The push toward renewables and energy access in off-grid rural areas will require robust battery systems. Nickel-doped niobium tungsten oxide batteries could offer a safer, locally sourced alternative, reducing reliance on imported, expensive, and potentially unsafe storage systems.
Oluwagbenga Fatile, who completed his earlier degrees in Nigeria before winning a scholarship for a doctorate in Canada, represents the kind of scientific bridge Nigeria needs: one foot firmly planted in world-class labs, the other rooted in homegrown development.
