Material scientists of Vanderbilt University have developed a ‘supercapacitor’
generated of silicon. Earlier it was seen as an imaginary idea, but eventually,
‘silicon capacitor can be built into a chip’
So ?
Now the cell phones can work for
weeks without needing a charge !
As published in the Scientific reports, the first-ever silicon supercap
stores energy by gathering ions on the surface of the porous material. Unlike
the batteries, which work on chemical reactions, the silicon supercaps can be
charged in minutes and last longer. Silicon had been considered inappropriate
for supercaps since it reacts with the electrolytes that make the
energy-storing ions
“If you ask
experts about making a supercapacitor out of silicon, they will tell you it is
a crazy idea,” said assistant professor Cary Pint, who headed the development
team at Vanderbilt. “But we’ve found an easy way to do it.”
Pint’s team
coated the silicon in carbon — well, technically a few nanometers of graphene —
and it stabilized the surface of the silicon, making it perfect for storing
energy.
“All the
things that define us in a modern environment require electricity,” said Pint.
“The more that we can integrate power storage into existing materials and
devices, the more compact and efficient they will become.”
Source : Scientific Reports
Author : Sid
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