The team from Marine Biopolymers and The University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry received funding from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) to explore the use of tailored alginates – a naturally occurring material found in brown seaweed – to help develop batteries using silicon as an alternative to graphite.
Graphite or carbon electrodes are a core component of standard lithium-ion batteries, but can only store a limited amount of charge and have a restricted lifespan. Silicon has been suggested as a viable alternative for the battery anode, and can increase charging capacity by up to ten times.
Used on its own, silicon expands and contracts each time the battery is cycled, eventually cracking and becoming damaged. The researchers' prototype combines silicon with the seaweed-derived alginate to improve the electrode’s elasticity and ability to store energy.
A prototype the size of a typical watch battery has already been created...