New Li-ion architecture could let you charge your smartphone in minutes

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering have come up with a 3D architecture for lithium-ion battery anodes which they say could enable portable electronics devices to be charged 16x faster than is currently possible. The silicon coated, cone-shaped carbon nanotube cluster architecture was created by a team led by Wei Wang, using a combination of chemical vapour deposition and an inductively coupled plasma treatment. It is said to demonstrate excellent electrochemical stability and irreversibility even at high charge and discharge rates, making it significantly faster than conventionally used graphite based anodes. "The ultra fast charge and discharge can be attributed to two reasons," said Wang. "Firstly, the seamless connection between graphene covered copper foil and carbon nanotubes enhances the active material-current collector contact integrity, which facilitates charge and thermal transfer in the electrode system. "Secondly, the cone-shaped architecture offers small interpenetrating channels for faster electrolyte access into the electrode which may enhance the rate performance." The research has been published in the journal Small.