Could our phone batteries get new life? Batteries have lots of issues which make them prone to lose capacity, break, and fail. UC researchers have created a nanowire battery that seems to solve all of these issues and last virtually forever even after over 200,000 power cycles. (image via Martin Abegglen/Flicker)
And the race to find better batteries to serve our techno-crazed society continues! We have reviewed growing research in the past 6 months alone that demonstrates how researchers are coming up with all kinds of solutions ranging from fuel cells, to nanoparticles, to conductive films. We all know that Lithium ion batteries, while better than what came before, currently suck for current consumer needs. Not only do they suck, but they can also become dangerous and explosive and flammable – as some unfortunate consumers have experienced and Youtubed.
However, the best solution continues to elude us. Not because these researchers are running out of ideas, but because it all depends on which idea will actually be adopted by manufacturers, right? In many cases, its whichever idea is cheapest and has the best wining-and-dining marketer?
Well, here is an invention which may provide a cost effective and viable solution to the problem of batteries. Why? Because its essentially a battery with a slight difference that turns a suck-tastic battery into a long-lasting battery that can survive 200,000 cycles and counting. Considering that current batteries only last about 5000 to 7000 cycles at most, this new approach to the battery could make the need to replace rechargeable batteries obsolete. Also, considering that the technology already exists and is accessible, it could mean that this technology could become a new addition to smartphones, laptops and more in the near future.
So, what’s the secret? University of California (UC) PhD candidate, Mya Le Thai, has created a new nanowire battery with none of the limitations of its predecessors. The secret lies in the materials Mya chose to use and how she constructed the nanowire. While most nanowires are flimsy and break over the life of a battery, her invention remains intact even after 200,000 power cycles.
UC researchers coated the gold nanowire with a magnesium dioxide shell and then changed the typical electrolyte by using a “Plexiglas-like gel.” This combination makes the battery more efficient and durable. After 200,000 tests within the span of 3 months, the battery was perfectly fine and showed no signs of decreased capacity or wear and tear.
Within their paper, published in American Chemical Society’s Energy Letters, they partially attribute their success to serendipity. While the testing of their creation demonstrates the possibility of it becoming a viable solution the the existing problems with batteries, they still want to experiment and run more tests to find out why their battery is so successful. Perhaps what they uncover will provide the basis of a new battery that has a never ending life cycle?
I certainly hope they don’t wait too long, however, because I’m so sick of replacing lithium ion batteries that don’t even seem to keep a reasonable charge past a couple of years!
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