We all have daily problems with technology, but how many of us can fix them? Mya Le Thai, a scientist from the University of California, Irvine recently discovered a process that might result in batteries that could last forever.
Thai said she was frustrated that the batteries for her wireless devices degraded. Over time, they failed to charge fully. Thai did not like to keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet. She decided to do something about that problem. At first, she and her team at UC Irvine thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion (锂离子)batteries to last forever. Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. One of the reasons why lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires (纳米线) to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. They are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But their thinness also makes them weak. ‘‘Nanowires break over time," she said. “That’s why they lose capacity.’’
But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a gel. She and the team tested her theory. “ It was a long process and a lot of work," Thai said. The team tried many coverings for the wires. The nanowires were coated with a gel, PMMA, and cycled through charging 200,000 times. The gel showed no evidence of damage. The results suggested that batteries could last forever without losing charging ability.
Thai said 200,000 cycles amount to about three months on just one device. Thai hopes to continue her research to see if any other gel could work better.
Thai tells VOA she is enjoying the publicity about her discovery. She said she never expected her research to getmedia coverage. “It’s kind of cool,” she said. “I’m really glad people are showing interest in my work—not just in thework itself, but also in technology and energy.”
