A team of scientists from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) accidentally discovered a method for creating batteries using nanowires that can last for over 100,000 charge cycles without breaking down or losing performance.
The search for long-lasting batteries is the subject of work in many scientific laboratories around the world. So while conventional battery technology has already reached its peak, researchers are looking for better results by using nanowires as the main structure of tomorrow's batteries.
Nanowires are tiny wires, thousands of times thinner than a human hair. They are highly conductive, and because they can be grouped in large numbers in small areas, they offer a very large surface area for electron transport and energy storage.
The problem with nanowires is that they are extremely fragile, and currently do not provide long-lasting batteries, as they break down over time. Most researchers agree that the technology has not been explored enough and that there is room for improvement.
Scientists from Irvine, California, accidentally discovered impressive results with nanowires that had been coated with a gold coating on a manganese dioxide shell. Then, by immersing the entire setup in Plexiglas gel, they created reliable batteries that can be recharged more than 100,000 times without losing any of their storage capacity or failing from overuse. In previous experiments with nanowire batteries, the scientists were able to use the batteries for 5,000 recharge cycles.
Mya Le Thai, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), who discovered the battery of tomorrow, along with her colleagues, published their findings yesterday. The team replaced the liquid electrolyte with a gel.
“The coated electrode holds its shape much better, making it a much more reliable option,” Thai states on the UCI website.
“This research proves that nanowire batteries can have a long lifespan, and we can make it a reality.”
Depending on the battery capacity, 100,000 recharge cycles could mean years, if not a lifetime. This technology is not just limited to pocket-sized batteries for your kids' toys, but also for smartphones, laptops, and why not, electric cars.
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Technical details are available in Thai's study titled 100k Cycles and Beyond: Extraordinary Cycle Stability for MnO2 Nanowires Imparted by a Gel Electrolyte.
