« Carbon Nanotube Battery Developed | Home | Daimler buys 10% stake in Tesla »
Carbon Nanotube Lengthens Battery Life
By | May 12, 2009
Carbon nanotubes tiny tubular structures composed of a single layer of carbon atoms lengthens the life of batteries, according to new research. Findings suggest that the diminutive tubes can hold twice the energy as graphite, the form of carbon currently used as an electrode in many rechargeable lithium batteries.
The reduction and oxidation reactions that occur at the electrodes of batteries produce a flow of electrons that generate and store energy. Conventional graphite electrodes can reversibly store one lithium ion for every six carbon atoms. To investigate the storage capacity of carbon nanotubes, researchers first created bundles of the single-walled straws. They then shortened the tubes and opened their ends by immersing them in strong acids.
Subsequent tests of their energy-holding potential, conducted using electrochemistry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, revealed an electrical storage capacity approximately double that of graphite. In explanation, the scientists note that the tubes’ open ends facilitated the diffusion of lithium atoms into their interiors. Indeed, the tiny straws managed to reversibly store one charged ion for every three carbon atoms.
Topics: carbon nano tube battery | No Comments »