Laptops could work longer and electric cars could drive
farther if it were possible to further increase the capacity of their
lithium-ion batteries. The electrode material has a decisive influence on a
battery’s capacity. So far, the negative electrode typically consists of
graphite, whose layers can store lithium atoms. Scientists at the Technische
Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now developed a material made of boron and
silicon that could smooth the way to systems with higher capacities.