For scientists working to create the next generation of batteries, water has typically been the enemy. For example, lithium-ion batteries typically need to be produced under extremely dry conditions for them to hold large amounts of charge. But a new discovery may show that a specific type of lithium-ion battery can literally hold water.
In a battery, ions move between the two electrodes to balance the electrical charge created during charging and discharging. Electrolytes are the battery component that makes this happen. Based on detailed models of water in different electrolyte environments created through earlier computer simulations, U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory researchers developed a new battery electrolyte that can hold a thousand times more water than conventional electrolytes, according to Argonne senior battery chemist Zhengcheng…
Water-Containing Battery Electrolyte Could Enable Cheaper, Easier-To-Produce Batteries
