World’s Teensiest Battery Could Drive Big Innovations

With electron microscopes and tiny wires far thinner than a human hair, DoE researchers have pinpointed key events in the life of a consumer electronics staple — the lithium ion battery. Their findings could lead to smaller, longer-lasting, more powerful batteries ready to rev up next-gen electric vehicles, laptops, cellphones and tablets. “We think this work will stimulate new thinking for energy storage,” said Chongmin Wang, a materials scientist at DoE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “We hope that with continued work, it will show us how to design a better battery.”