QAZAQ GREEN. Researchers from Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have achieved a major breakthrough in energy storage, developing an iron-based material capable of storing and releasing significantly more energy than previously thought possible, according to Stanford Report.

For the first time, scientists succeeded in getting an iron-based compound to donate and accept five electrons per atom, surpassing the earlier limit of two or three. This discovery, published in Nature Materials, opens new possibilities for next-generation batteries, magnetic levitation technologies, and MRI systems.

The international research team, led by Stanford PhD students Hari Ramachandran, Edward Mu, and Eder Lomeli, included 23 scientists from universities and national laboratories in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

Iron’s abundance and low cost make it an appealing alternative to cobalt and nickel — expensive and supply-constrained metals currently used in lithium-ion batteries. Until now, iron-based cathodes have suffered from low voltage. The new material, composed of lithium, iron, antimony, and oxygen (LFSO), overcomes this limitation by maintaining structural stability while allowing high-voltage operation.

The key lies in nanostructuring: by creating particles only a few hundred nanometers wide, the team prevented the material from collapsing during charge cycles. Advanced X-ray and neutron spectroscopy at several U.S. national labs confirmed the material’s ability to sustain five-electron redox reactions.

Beyond batteries, the discovery could enhance applications in magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic levitation transport, and may also contribute to the development of superconductors.

Professor William Chueh, one of the project’s advisors, noted that the finding “provides conclusive evidence of oxidation beyond three electrons for iron — something long considered unreachable.” The research group now plans to refine the material’s composition for large-scale commercial applications, including replacing the costly element antimony with more accessible alternatives.