Nanotechnology used for improving lithium battery technology

10 February 2009

Researchers at Rice University have created new hybrid carbon nanotubes metal oxide arrays that can enhance the life and performance of existing lithium-ion batteries significantly. Lithium-ion batteries are currently being used in a number of applications including for electric car applications and demand for high performance long life batteries is continuously growing.

Researchers grown highly conductive nanotube core that act similar to a coaxial conducting lines consisting manganese oxide shell. The core of the nanotube being highly conductive and if you allow the core to absorb lithium and the manganese oxide, which are poor electricity conductors; you get a complete new thing. With the combinations of duo researchers believe that the charge or discharge cycles will be greatly enhanced.

Although researchers have studied a number of combinations of these materials, however the particular coaxial design was found to enhance the performance of the battery significantly. Further modifications in these coaxial nanotube are being tried and researchers are hopeful to achieve higher performance with thinner batteries.

The finding of the research paper jointly authored by Reddy, Shaijumon, Sanketh Gowda and Ajayan is appeared in the Nano Letters.

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