Nickelblock: An element's love-hate relationship with battery electrodes
Thursday, September 27, 2012 - 15:31
in Physics & Chemistry
Anyone who owns an electronic device knows that lithium ion batteries could work better and last longer. Now, scientists examining battery materials on the nano-scale reveal how nickel forms a physical barrier that impedes the shuttling of lithium ions in the electrode, reducing how fast the materials charge and discharge. Published last week in Nano Letters, the research also suggests a way to improve the materials.