Building better batteries with amorphous materials and machine learning
Lithium-ion batteries power most electronics, but they have limited energy density—they can store only a certain amount of energy per mass or volume of the battery.
Energy storage is an essential part of many rapidly growing sustainable technologies, including electric cars and renewable energy generation. Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the current market, lithium is a relatively scarce and expensive element, creating both economic and supply stability challenges. Accordingly, researchers all over the world are experimenting…
Discovering new, powerful electrolytes is one of the major bottlenecks in designing next-generation batteries for electric vehicles, phones, laptops and grid-scale energy storage.
Batteries, like humans, require medicine to function at their best. In battery technology, this medicine comes in the form of electrolyte additives, which enhance performance by forming stable interfaces, lowering resistance and boosting energy capacity, resulting in improved efficiency and longevity.