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Materials science

Pulley protection in batteries

Nature volume 549, pages 37–38 (2017)Cite this article

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High-energy battery electrodes can break apart during operation. Conventional rope-and-pulley systems have inspired the development of a polymer that holds electrodes together at the molecular scale, enabling durable batteries to be made.

The energy density of lithium-ion batteries must be increased to allow the development of electric vehicles with longer ranges than are currently possible, and electronic devices that remain powered for days. Scientists have tried to increase the energy density by developing electrode materials that can hold more lithium ions1. But a major problem has impeded progress: materials that absorb large quantities of lithium ions necessarily expand and contract many times during charge–discharge cycling. This makes the materials splinter and fragment2, causing rapid loss of charge capacity. Writing in Science, Choi et al.3 report an innovative way to combat this problem — they use mechanically interlocked polymers to maintain connectivity in high-capacity battery electrodes.

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Figure 1: A polymer that maintains structural integrity in battery electrodes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and at the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 30332, Georgia, USA

    Matthew T. McDowell

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  1. Matthew T. McDowell
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Correspondence to Matthew T. McDowell.

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McDowell, M. Pulley protection in batteries. Nature 549, 37–38 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/549037a

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