Leaf-Based Battery Could Replace Lithium Versions

Feb-02-16 A new type of battery made from a carbonized leaf could offer a green alternative to today’s metal and chemical versions.

Researchers have been looking for ways to create sodium batteries to replace the more common lithium versions. But while sodium can hold a greater charge that lithium, it cannot tolerate as many charge-and-discharge cycles. So researchers have been looking for an anode material that is compatible with sodium.

The leaf-based battery, created by a team from the University of Maryland, could offer the solution, and with less preparation and expense than previous attempts (such as using graphene). The leaf—an oak leaf, in this case—was baked at extremely high temperatures to render it down to only its underlying carbon structure. The natural shape and pore structure of the leaf allowed it to easily absorb the charge-carrying sodium.

According to Fei Shen, one of the paper’s main authors, "The natural shape of a leaf already matches a battery's needs: a low surface area, which decreases defects; a lot of small structures packed closely together, which maximizes space; and internal structures of the right size and shape to be used with sodium electrolyte."

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[INHABITAT.COM]
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