Batteries – these happen to be the very life source of many a device these days. Lithium-ion batteries are the norm these days, but with the increasing amount of functionality that we attach to our gadgets, lithium ion batteries are finding it rather difficult to keep up without remaining svelte. Here is a potential breakthrough – a fluffy carbon electrode from scientists at Cambridge University, which might be a key component when it comes to delivering a workable lithium-air battery down the road, although the road ahead is a long and challenging one.
Lithium-air batteries do carry a theoretical energy density that is 10 times that of Li-ion, and are being looked at as the natural successor, although experimental models to date have not been stable enough for everyday use, and have their fair share of issues like poor charge or discharge rates and low energy efficiency. Not only that, they can only be operated in pure oxygen environments, which is impractical in everyday atmosphere.
Researchers at Cambridge University have added some sense of stability and efficiency with the inclusion of lithium iodide and a fluffy carbon electrode that is made of sheets of graphene. This lithium-air battery developed by Tao Liu, Clare P. Grey and colleagues at Cambridge, is the first step to a brighter future where batteries are concerned, but realistically speaking, anything practical for the masses will only arrive in 10 years’ time at the best estimates.
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