Lithium Ion batteries are used in an array of portable devices all over the world. A small, lightweight, rechargeable battery that can last for years. Li-ion battery systems are among the leading power supply technologies.
At the moment the technology is hinged around the balancing act of trading power (watts) for energy (watt-hours). This issue has been tackled though, with a new technology which improves the power and energy output drastically.
These advances have been made by University of Illinois researchers and their work on a brand new cathode and anode structure.
A standard lithium ion battery normally has a solid, two-dimensional anode made of graphite and a cathode made of lithium salt. The Illinois battery uses a three-dimensional anode and cathode. The result of which produces a battery which allows for more chemical reactions to take place in the same space. This allows for a massive boost in discharge speed and charging.