Graphite + water = the future of energy storage
16 Jul 2011
A combination of two ordinary materials – graphite and water – could produce energy storage systems that perform on par with lithium ion batteries, but recharge in a matter of seconds and have an almost indefinite lifespan.
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| Graphene sheets. Credit: Gengping Jiang |
Dr Dan Li, of the Monash University Department of Materials Engineering, and his research team have been working with a material called graphene, which could form the basis of the next generation of ultrafast energy storage systems.
''Once we can properly manipulate this material, your iPhone, for example, could charge in a few seconds, or possibly faster.'' said Dr Li.
Graphene is the result of breaking down graphite, a cheap, readily available material commonly used in pencils, into layers one atom thick. In this form, it has remarkable properties.
Graphene is strong, chemically stable, an excellent conductor of electricity and, importantly, has an extremely high surface area.
Dr Li said these qualities make graphene highly suitable for energy storage applications.
