Transparent Li-Ion Batteries Make Electricity-Generating Windows Possible
Source: RSC, Kate McAlpine (7/26/11)
"It is now possible to increase the battery's energy storage without sacrificing its transparency."
RSC, Kate McAlpine
Energy-harvesting windows are a step closer with the development of a transparent lithium ion battery, created by U.S. researchers at Stanford University. The electrodes are confined to a grid 35µm wide, making them too narrow to be perceived by the naked eye.
The electrodes pose the biggest challenge to transparent lithium ion batteries, as both anode and cathode materials are typically opaque. Yi Cui's team solved this problem by making them very thin. They set the electrode materials into a grid of trenches in clear polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By stacking and aligning the grids with additional layers of electrodes, it is possible to increase the battery's energy storage without sacrificing its transparency. . .View full article
Energy-harvesting windows are a step closer with the development of a transparent lithium ion battery, created by U.S. researchers at Stanford University. The electrodes are confined to a grid 35µm wide, making them too narrow to be perceived by the naked eye.
The electrodes pose the biggest challenge to transparent lithium ion batteries, as both anode and cathode materials are typically opaque. Yi Cui's team solved this problem by making them very thin. They set the electrode materials into a grid of trenches in clear polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By stacking and aligning the grids with additional layers of electrodes, it is possible to increase the battery's energy storage without sacrificing its transparency. . .View full article