Can Morocco Lead the Charge for Ethical, Cobalt-Free Batteries?

Morocco World

a day ago

Rabat – As the world races toward electrification, the demand for cleaner, cheaper, and more ethical energy storage solutions is growing at lightning speed. Electric vehicles (EVs), grid storage systems, and portable electronics are all powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Yet these batteries often rely on controversial and expensive materials like cobalt. The challenge facing scientists and engineers is how to make batteries more sustainable without sacrificing performance.
Among the efforts to eliminate cobalt from lithium-ion batteries is the work of a Moroccan researcher, Elhoucine Elmaataouy, from the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), who is contributing to the development of cobalt-free battery technologies.
His latest research focuses on a method called fluorine anion doping in single-particle LiNiO ₂ cathodes. The goal is to create high-performance lithium-ion batteries that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Why move away from cobalt?
Cobalt has long been a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries, particularly in the cathode, which is the part responsible for storing and releasing lithium ions. However, cobalt is both toxic and costly. Most of the global supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where mining practices have raised serious ethical concerns , including child labor and environmental damage.
'For cobalt, there are two main issues,' ELMaataouy said. 'The first one is that cobalt is very expensive, and the second one is that it's toxic.'
Battery manufacturers and researchers have responded by trying to reduce cobalt content. Since 2010, battery formulations have reduced cobalt usage from 100% in lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) to about 10% in current technologies like NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) and NCA (nickel cobalt aluminum), used in electric vehicles by companies like Tesla. Now, the goal is to go fully cobalt-free while maintaining similar performance.
This is where ELMaataouy work stands out.
The promise of single-particle LiNiO ₂ and fluorine doping
ELMaataouy's research centers around LiNiO ₂ , a nickel-rich cathode material that eliminates cobalt entirely. Though promising, LiNiO ₂ is known for its structural instability, especially when charged and discharged repeatedly. To solve this, Elmaataouy's and co-workers introduced a small amount of fluorine into the structure using a novel process that combines hydrothermal synthesis with ball milling.
'The idea here,' he explained, 'is to enhance the bonding between nickel and oxygen by adding a small amount of fluorine, which makes the structure more resistant to degradation during cycling.'
This strategy delivers a 'dual advantage': better structural stability and high capacity retention. It's a major step forward for cobalt-free battery technology.
He explained that while the fluorine-doped LiNiO ₂ cathodes are still being tested at laboratory scale, they already show promising results compared to traditional cobalt-based materials. 'We are competitive with NMC and NCA,' he said, 'not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of cost.'
What makes fluorine so special? Fluorine is the most electronegative element on the periodic table, meaning it has a strong ability to attract electrons. When a small amount of oxygen in LiNiO ₂ is replaced by fluorine, it strengthens the chemical bonds inside the material, making it less likely to crack or degrade during battery cycling.
Using advanced techniques such as operando X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopy, some conducted in collaboration with Japan's National Institute for Materials Science, ELMaataouy and co-workers found that the volume changes in the cathode material during charge/discharge cycles were reduced by 2% thanks to fluorine doping. This reduction in volume change means the material lasts longer and remains more reliable.
'We observed that with fluorine, the volume change was reduced around 2%. This is one of the positive impacts of adding fluorine to the lithium nickel oxide structure,' he said.
Challenges and next steps
Creating a stable, high-performance, cobalt-free cathode is no simple task. One of the biggest technical hurdles is controlling the morphology, or shape and size, of the particles. 'It's very difficult to control the particle morphology,' ELMaataouy admitted. 'We had to optimize everything from ball milling to calcination, making sure the temperature doesn't exceed 800°C to avoid structural issues.'
Another challenge was ensuring that fluorine is evenly distributed throughout the material. To do this, the team had to carefully calibrate the ratio of aluminum fluoride used as the precursor. Ongoing research now focuses on finding the maximum amount of fluorine that can be added without disrupting the material's structure.
The ultimate goal is to scale this technology from lab-sized coin cells to full battery systems. That's still a few steps away. 'To develop a custom material is not easy,' ELMaataouy said. 'You need to test it under different conditions; temperature, current density, and so on.'
ELMaataouy's work is part of a broader push by UM6P to lead cutting-edge energy research in Africa and beyond. Located in Benguerir, UM6P is known for its strong focus on innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and partnerships with both local and international institutions. The university has become a hub for research in sustainable development, materials science, and clean energy.
In addition to his work on fluorine doping, ELMaataouy collaborates with other researchers on transforming industrial waste, like vanadium spent catalysts from OCP's sulfuric acid production, into valuable materials for energy storage. These dual efforts highlight a commitment not only to innovation but also to circular economy principles.
A Moroccan strategy for battery sovereignty
Globally, countries are developing their own strategies to secure battery supply chains. While the US and Europe are pushing cobalt-free and solid-state batteries, Morocco is leaning into its natural resources. As ELMaataouy noted, 'Our country is moving totally from nickel-rich to LFP [lithium iron phosphate], which is 100% iron and phosphate. Morocco is the world leader in phosphate production.'
This strategy is pragmatic and sustainable. LFP is cheaper, safer, and more stable, though it has lower energy density than nickel-based chemistries. Meanwhile, research at UM6P ensures Morocco is not just a supplier of raw materials, but also a player in global battery innovation.
ELMaataouy hopes to apply this strategy to other battery types, including sodium-ion batteries, and to cathodes like spinel or layered oxides. 'For high nickel NMCs, yes, it can be applied,' he said. 'They belong to the same family as LNO [LiNiO ₂ ], so fluorine doping will also improve performance there.'
Battery research is complex and deeply interdisciplinary. ELMaataouy wants the public to understand that these materials are not plug-and-play. They require years of careful testing, tweaking, and engineering. 'The battery consists of different components: cathode, anode, separator, and electrolyte. It's a whole system,' he said. 'And people need to be more aware of how to handle their batteries safely, especially in everyday electronics.' Tags: cobalt free batteriesEV batteriesMoroccoUM6P