Nanowires increase battery life 10x
Stanford researchers have used silicon nanowires to increase the life of a lithiuim battery by 10 times. A normal lithium-ion (or Li-ion) battery’s capacity is determined by how much lithium fits in the battery’s anode, typically made of carbon. Silicon has a higher capacity than carbon, but it swells when it absorbs positively charged lithium atoms during charging and shrinks during use, disintegrating over time. What Yi Cui and his team did was create a lattice-work of silicon nanowires, which can expand up to four times their size as they absorb lithium and still not fracture. This could increase the life of a laptop battery to 20 hours. Further, improved batteries can help to better store solar power, as well as make the electric car a more attractive option. “It’s not a small improvement,” said Cui, “it’s a revolutionary development.”
Stanford’s nanowire battery holds 10 times the charge of existing ones, Stanford.edu
High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires: Abstract, Nature.com