Stanford University scientists have developed an advanced
zinc-air battery with higher catalytic activity and durability than similar
batteries made with costly platinum and iridium catalysts. The results,
published in the journal Nature Communications, could lead to the development
of a low-cost alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries widely used
today.
"There have been increasing demands for
high-performance, inexpensive and safe batteries for portable electronics,
electric vehicles and other energy storage applications," said Hongjie
Dai, a professor chemistry at Stanford and lead author of the study. "Metal-air
batteries offer a possible low-cost solution."