Stanford scientists create novel silicon electrodes that improve lithium-ion battery performance
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/june/bao-cui-hydrogel-060313.html[font face=Serif]Stanford Report, June 4, 2013
[font size=5]Stanford scientists create novel silicon electrodes that improve lithium-ion battery performance[/font]
[font size=4]Stanford scientists have developed inexpensive silicon-based electrodes that dramatically improve the charge storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries.[/font]
[font size=3] By Mark Shwartz
Stanford University scientists have dramatically improved the performance of lithium-ion batteries by creating novel electrodes made of silicon and conducting polymer hydrogel, a spongy substance similar to the material used in soft contact lenses and other household products.
Writing in the June 4 edition of the journal
Nature Communications, the scientists describe a new technique for producing low-cost, silicon-based batteries with potential applications for a wide range of electrical devices.
"Developing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and long cycle life is of critical importance to address the ever-increasing energy storage needs for portable electronics, electric vehicles and other technologies," said study co-author Zhenan Bao, professor of chemical engineering at Stanford.
To find a practical, inexpensive material that increases the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries, Bao and her Stanford colleagues turned to silicon an abundant, environmentally benign element with promising electronic properties.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2941