Rechargeable Batteries

A new study shows how fluoride might be put to work in better batteries. Researchers at Caltech, JPL, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Honda Research Institute have developed fluoride-based batteries that could potentially last much longer than existing lithium-ion-based devices.

After a few weeks with the SwitchCharge, a beefy battery pack for the Nintendo Switch, we’re happy to report that it actively solves some of Nintendo’s niggles, earning its place in our bag basically every time we leave the house with the Switch.

Zinc-air batteries are enticing thanks to their high energy density and cheap materials. Unfortunately, that's countered by how difficult it is to recharge them. Now researchers have created new catalysts out of abundant elements that could see rechargeable zinc-air batteries vying with li-ions.

Researchers are exploring the difficult task of reclaiming lithium from old discarded batteries. A new study has put three strains of fungi to work to extract these valuable materials from electronic waste, which could lead to a safer and greener battery recycling system.

By eliminating the need for traditional separator membranes, researchers have created printable solid-state batteries that can be printed in any conceivable shape and can be seamlessly embedded into a variety of surfaces.

For the cellphone user who goes through phones quickly and always needs a charge, Enlighten's Better Re lets you get some more use out of your old phone's battery, by allowing it to slot into an adjustable external battery charger for your new phone.

Dendrites – thin conductive filaments that form inside lithium batteries – reduce the life of these cells and are often responsible for them catching fire. Now researchers claim to have produced an electrolyte that completely eliminates them while also boosting carrying capacity and efficiency.

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley Lab have invented an advanced lithium/sulfur (Li/S) cell that offers a unique combination of energy storage, power, recharge speed, and survivability.

Researchers at the University of Maryland are developing a cheap, long-lasting and environmentally-friendly sodium-ion battery using wood fibers.

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed new algorithms that improve the efficiency of existing lithium-ion batteries and could allow them to be charged twice as fast than is currently possible.

Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science have found pyrolyzed sucrose to be a surprisingly effective material for the anode of sodium-ion batteries.

An iron-air battery developed at USC appears a promising solution for large-scale storage of energy generated from intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar.