What`s Up with Laptop Batteries? - A New Development

In December 2007, Yi Cui, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, announced the development of a new type of lithium battery with 10 times the storage capacity of the ones currently on the market.

The electrical storage capacity of a Li-Ion  battery is determined by how much lithium can be deposited on the battery's anode before the battery becomes discharged. These days, most Li-Ion  battery anodes are made from carbon.

An anode made of silicon would have a much greater lithium holding capacity than a carbon anode. The problem with using silicon is that it shrinks and swells as the battery discharges and charges. This causes the silicone anode to disintegrate, leading to serious problems with battery life.

Cui overcame this problem using nanotechnology. The lithium in Cui's battery is stored in many tiny silicon nanowires, each having a diameter of about one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires expand to four times their normal size as they absorb lithium, but, unlike other silicon shapes that have been tried as anodes, they do not disintegrate as they expand and shrink.

Cui and his colleagues have applied for a patent on the technology, and expect it to be on the market soon.

Conclusion

We are still anxiously waiting for Yi Cui's new battery. It sounds like a workable idea that may be close to production. Let us hope so!