Summary of Next-generation smartphone battery inspired by the gut
This article describes a new lithium-sulphur battery prototype developed by University of Cambridge researchers that mimics human intestinal villi to solve material degradation issues. By using a nanostructured zinc oxide wire layer, the design traps active material fragments, potentially achieving five times the energy density of standard lithium-ion batteries.
Parts used in the Lithium-Sulphur Battery Prototype:
- Lithium-sulphur battery
- Nanostructured material resembling villi
- Tiny zinc oxide wires
- Battery electrode surface
- Active material fragments
A new prototype of a lithium-sulphur battery – which could have five times the energy density of a typical lithium-ion battery – overcomes one of the key hurdles preventing their commercial development by mimicking the structure of the cells which allow us to absorb nutrients.
This gets us a long way through the bottleneck which is preventing the development of better batteries.
Paul Coxon
Researchers have developed a prototype of a next-generation lithium-sulphur battery which takes its inspiration in part from the cells lining the human intestine. The batteries, if commercially developed, would have five times the energy density of the lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones and other electronics.
The new design, by researchers from the University of Cambridge, overcomes one of the key technical problems hindering the commercial development of lithium-sulphur batteries, by preventing the degradation of the battery caused by the loss of material within it. The results are reported in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Working with collaborators at the Beijing Institute of Technology, the Cambridge researchers based in Dr Vasant Kumar’s team in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy developed and tested a lightweight nanostructured material which resembles villi, the finger-like protrusions which line the small intestine. In the human body, villi are used to absorb the products of digestion and increase the surface area over which this process can take place.
In the new lithium-sulphur battery, a layer of material with a villi-like structure, made from tiny zinc oxide wires, is placed on the surface of one of the battery’s electrodes. This can trap fragments of the active material when they break off, keeping them electrochemically accessible and allowing the material to be reused.
“It’s a tiny thing, this layer, but it’s important,” said study co-author Dr Paul Coxon from Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy. “This gets us a long way through the bottleneck which is preventing the development of better batteries.”
For more detail: Next-generation smartphone battery inspired by the gut
The new design, by researchers from the University of Cambridge, overcomes one of the key technical problems hindering the commercial development of lithium-sulphur batteries, by preventing the degradation of the battery caused by the loss of material within it. The results are reported in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Working with collaborators at the Beijing Institute of Technology, the Cambridge researchers based in Dr Vasant Kumar’s team in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy developed and tested a lightweight nanostructured material which resembles villi, the finger-like protrusions which line the small intestine. In the human body, villi are used to absorb the products of digestion and increase the surface area over which this process can take place.
In the new lithium-sulphur battery, a layer of material with a villi-like structure, made from tiny zinc oxide wires, is placed on the surface of one of the battery’s electrodes. This can trap fragments of the active material when they break off, keeping them electrochemically accessible and allowing the material to be reused.
“It’s a tiny thing, this layer, but it’s important,” said study co-author Dr Paul Coxon from Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy. “This gets us a long way through the bottleneck which is preventing the development of better batteries.”
For more detail: Next-generation smartphone battery inspired by the gut
- How does the new battery design overcome technical problems?
The design prevents degradation caused by the loss of material within the battery. - What structure inspired the development of this battery?
The structure was inspired by the villi cells lining the human intestine. - Can this battery achieve higher energy density than current models?
Yes, it could have five times the energy density of typical lithium-ion batteries. - What is the function of the villi-like layer in the battery?
It traps fragments of active material when they break off to keep them electrochemically accessible. - Which university team developed this lightweight nanostructured material?
Researchers from the University of Cambridge based in Dr Vasant Kumar's team developed it. - Does the new layer allow for material reuse?
Yes, the layer allows the trapped material to be reused. - Where were the results of this study reported?
The results were reported in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. - What specific material makes up the villi-like layer?
The layer is made from tiny zinc oxide wires.
