Nanotechnology Battery (Nano Battery)

How can nanotechnology improve batteries?

Using nanotechnology in the manufacture of batteries offers the following benefits:

• Reducing the possibility of batteries catching fire by providing less flammable electrode material.

• Increasing the available power from a battery and decreasing the time required to recharge a battery. These benefits are achieved by coating the surface of an electrode with nanoparticles. This increases the surface area of the electrode thereby allowing more current to flow between the electrode and the chemicals inside the battery. This technique could increase the efficiency of hybrid vehicles by significantly reducing the weight of the batteries needed to provide adequate power.

• Increasing the shelf life of a battery by using nanomaterials to separate liquids in the battery from the solid electrodes when there is no draw on the battery. This separation prevents the low level discharge that occurs in a conventional battery, which increases the shelf life of the battery dramatically.

Batteries: Nanotechnology Applications under Development

Researchers at Stanford University have grown silicon nanowires on a stainless steel substrate and demonstrated that batteries using these anodes could have up to 10 times the power density of conventional lithium ion batteries. Using silicon nanowires, instead of bulk silicon fixes a problem of the silicon cracking, that has been seen on electrodes using bulk silicon. The cracking is caused because the silicon swells it absorbs lithium ions while being recharged, and contracts as the battery is discharged and the lithium ions leave the silicon. However the researchers found that while the silicon nanowires swell as lithium ions are absorbed during discharge of the battery and contract as the lithium ions leave during recharge of the battery the nanowires do not crack, unlike anodes that used bulk silicon.

Researchers at MIT have developed a technique to deposit aligned carbon nanotubes on a substrate for use as the anode, and possibly the cathode, in a lithium ion battery. The carbon nanotubes have organic molecules attached that help the nanotubes align on the substrate, as well as provide many oxygen atoms that provide points for lithium ions to attach to. This could increase the power density of lithium ion batteries significantly, perhaps by as much as 10 times. A battery manufacturer called Contour Systems has licensed this technology and are planning to use it in their next generation Li-ion batteries.

Researchers at MIT have used carbon nanofibers to make lithium ion battery electrodes that show four times the storage capacity of current lithium ion batteries.

Cathodes made of a nanocomposite designed to increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries.

Battery small enough to be implanted in the eye and power artificial retina

Long shelf life battery uses "nanograss" to separate liquid electrolytes from the solid electrode until power is needed.

Lithium ion batteries with nanoparticle (Nanophosphate™) electrodes that meet the safety requirements for electric cars while improving the performance.

Lithium ion batteries with electrodes made from nano-structured lithium titanate that significantly improves the charge/discharge capability at sub freezing temperatures as well as increasing the upper temperature limit at which the battery remains safe from thermal runaway.

Ultracapacitors using nanotubes may do even better than batteries in hybrid cars.

Ultracapacitor using single atom thick graphene sheets to store electrical charge.

Battery anodes using silicon nanoparticles coating a titanium disilicide lattice may improve the charge/discharge rate of Li-ion batteries as well as the battery lifetime.

Thermocells using nanotubes that generate electricity.

Electrical generator built with nanostructured material that can produce watts of electrical power from walking.

Batteries: Nanotechnology Company Directory

Company	Product	Advantages
A123Systems	Lithium-ion battery with the cathode made from nano-phosphate, literature is unclear as to whether this is nanoparticles of phosphate on a substrate or a nano-porous phosphate structure	Higher power, quicker recharge, less combustible than standard lithium-ion batteries
NanoEner Technologies	Electrodes composed of nanoparticles on a substrate for use in batteries. Partner company Enerdel is developing Li Ion battery packs for use in electric and hybrid vehicles	Faster charge and discharge rate than conventional electrodes
Mphase Technologies	Battery with chemicals isolated from electrode by "nanograss" when the battery is not in use	Very long shelf life
Altairnano	Lithium-ion battery with the anode composed of lithium titanate spindel nanoparticles	Higher power, quicker recharge, less combustible than standard lithium-ion batteries

Naoexa	Lithium-ion battery using nanocomposite electrodes using technology developed at Argonne National Laboratory	Higher power, less combustible than standard lithium-ion batteries
EcoloCap Solutions	Lead acid batteries using nanotube coated electrodes	Increased energy density at a lower cost that Li-ion batteries
Zpower	Silver-zinc battery using nanoparticles in the silver cathode	Higher power density, low combustibility
Nexeon	Structured silicon anodes for use in lithium-ion batteries	Higher power density, low combustibility
NanoAmor	Nanotube based additive for use in lithium-ion electrodes
NEI	Nanomaterials for lithium-ion battery electrodes
Contour Energy	Lithium ion battery manufacturer that has acquired the techniques MIT has developed for carbon nanotube based electrodes
Graphene Energy	Graphene based ultracapacitors
InStep NanoPower	Nanostructured devices that generate electricity during walking

Resources For Advancing Battery Technology

Transportation Technology R&D Center at Argonne National Laboratory

United States Advanced Battery Consortium

Other Energy Related Pages:

• Nanotechnology in Solar Cells
• Nanotechnology in Fuel Cells
• Nanotechnology in Fuels
• Dressing Up: Thermoelectric Nanowires vs. Nano Solar Cells
• Nanotechnology offers Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
• Nanotechnology on the Road