Nanotechnology Increases Lithium Ion Battery Storage Capacity 10 Times Over

silicon nanowires

[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This post was originally published by the Stanford News Service in December 2007.

Last December, researchers at Stanford University found a way to use silicon nanowires to store 10 times the amount of energy of existing lithium-ion batteries. A laptop that now runs on battery for two hours could operate for 20 hours, but more importantly, this technology can be applied to electric vehicle batteries.

The breakthrough is described in a paper, “High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires,” published online Dec. 16 in Nature Nanotechnology. The paper was written by Yi Cui, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, his graduate chemistry student Candace Chan, and five others.

According to Cui: “Given the mature infrastructure behind silicon, this new technology can be pushed to real life quickly.”

The lithium is stored in tiny silicon nanowires, each with a diameter one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires inflate four times their normal size as they soak up lithium. But, unlike other silicon shapes, they do not fracture.

Cui said that a patent application has been filed. He is considering formation of a company or an agreement with a battery manufacturer.

The main barrier to the widespread adoption of electric cars are cost, recharge time, and speed. The costs will come down as demand for electric vehicles increases and they become mass-produced. Nanotechnology is a potential solution to the recharge time problem as well. For example Altair Nanotechnologies is in the process of creating a battery which they claim will allow for a 10 minute recharge at special high voltage recharging stations. And now this new discovery could allow nanotechnology to solve the range issue as well, and in fact could potentially give electric vehicles far greater range than gas powered vehicles.

Source: Stanford News Service

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Image Source: Nature Nanotechnology

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Tags: Batteries, electric cars, EVs, lithium-ion, nanotechnology

About the Author

Dana Nuccitelli Dana earned a Bachelor's degree in astrophysics from UC Berkeley in 2003 and a Master's degree in physics from UC Davis in 2005. Through college, he grew increasingly interested in environmental issues, particularly global warming and alternative fuel vehicles. After earning his Master's degree, Dana became employed at an environmental consulting firm in the Sacramento, California area. He currently works as an Environmental Scientist, primarily perfoming research and contributing to the cleanup of contaminated former military defense sites.

http://zapworld.com/ Electric Car

If this technology can in fact be modified to suit electric vehicles, it would be a great advancement for the EV sector: increasing range, making the vehicles lighter and more compact.
http://zapworld.com/ Electric Car

If this technology can in fact be modified to suit electric vehicles, it would be a great advancement for the EV sector: increasing range, making the vehicles lighter and more compact.
Bart Hibbs

They made a cathode material that stores 10 times more lithium, but the anode, the electrolyte, the current collectors and the separator are all the same, so the total battery will not be 10 times better. When charged all the Lithium is in the anode, and its not 10 times better. So you either make it 10 times thicker, or the cathode 10 times thinner. Either way the overall battery will not be 10 times better, more like 50% to 100% better. Which is real good, but lets get the numbers straight.
Bart Hibbs

They made a cathode material that stores 10 times more lithium, but the anode, the electrolyte, the current collectors and the separator are all the same, so the total battery will not be 10 times better. When charged all the Lithium is in the anode, and its not 10 times better. So you either make it 10 times thicker, or the cathode 10 times thinner. Either way the overall battery will not be 10 times better, more like 50% to 100% better. Which is real good, but lets get the numbers straight.
Tom Harasti

The breakthrough paper was published on Dec 16, 2007.

Since then, I have not found any new news about this technology other than references to the published article. If this technology is so great, how come there are no new lab reports or new independent studies coraborating the findings? The deafening silence since last December is strange.
Tom Harasti

The breakthrough paper was published on Dec 16, 2007.

Since then, I have not found any new news about this technology other than references to the published article. If this technology is so great, how come there are no new lab reports or new independent studies coraborating the findings? The deafening silence since last December is strange.
http://none none

This is a ripped off article from one published in Dec 2007. Nothing has become of this researcher since then.
http://wow wow

Wow, Dana Nuccitelli, ever heard of plagiarism? This was written by Dan Stober in December 07. Write your own damn articles.
Dana Nuccitelli

36% of the article is completely original material. While quotes and facts were taken from the cited Stanford News Service article, I don’t believe plagiarism is a valid complaint (even if the complaint made by the same person twice).
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