Pretty Nanoflowers As Batteries
- Energy-storage devices
- Efficient solar cells
- Environment-friendly
The North Carolina State University is working on something pretty- carnation-like nanoflowers that are actually energy storage cells with much more capacity than traditional cells.
- Energy-storage devices
- Efficient solar cells
- Environment-friendly
The North Carolina State University is working on something pretty- carnation-like nanoflowers that are actually energy storage cells with much more capacity than traditional cells.
The nanoflower structure is made out of germanium sulphide powder which is heated until it starts to vaporise. The vapour is then blown into a cooler part if the furnace, allowing the germanium sulphide to cool down into 20-30 nanometer layers and combined. The material's ultrathin petals provide a large surface area in only a small amount of space.
If successful, these nanoflowers may be used in energy-storage devices and more efficient solar cells. It could also lead to longer-lived supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries. The germanium sulfide is cheap and clean allowing for more environment-friendly and efficient solar cells.
“This could significantly increase the capacity of lithium-ion batteries, for instance, since the thinner structure with larger surface area can hold more lithium ions,” says Dr. Linyou Cao, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the research.
“By the same token, this GeS flower structure could lead to increased capacity for supercapacitors, which are also used for energy storage.”
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