Pomegranate-inspired electrode creates longer lithium-ion battery

Main Article page | Beauty articles | Health page | Computers| Diseases | Education | Entertainment | Family
Business |Fitness|  Fruits and Vegetables | Jobs | General | Personality| Technology | Tourism | Useful Tips
Biography Page| Heroes & Incredible peoples | Inventions
Computer Main page | Printer drivers| Antivirus | Children safety | SMS| Articles

By Nick Lavars : Though the use of silicon in lithium-ion batteries promises a whole new world of energy storage, it also poses several problems to a battery's durability and overall performance. A new electrode design inspired by clusters of pomegranate seeds and developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) and Stanford University, overcomes some of these obstacles, bringing lighter and more powerful batteries closer to reality.

An anode (the part of the battery that stores energy while the battery is charging) made from silicon is able to store ten times the charge of graphite anodes used in today's lithium-ion batteries. This holds significant possibilities for extending the battery life of common gadgets such as cell phones, tablets and mobile phones, but there are various hurdles that must first be overcome.

The fragile nature of the silicon compared to graphite causes it to swell and eventually break while the battery is charging. It also reacts nastily to the electrolyte of the battery, causing a gunk to form on its coat and compromise the battery's performance. Previously, researchers have overcome these problems by using silicon nanoparticles, which are already too small break, and placing them in protective casings or "yolk shells" made from carbon, with enough spare room inside for them to swell and shrink without causing damage.

Read the full article from Gizmag

Articles: