The batteries that operate most cell phones can provide 38 Watt-hours per kilogram. This means that it can provide the same power as the lead-acid batteries in your car while having half the weight and is able to be charged and discharged over 1000 times. Advances in battery technology have fueled the soaring popularity of cell phones, to the dismay of many restaurant patrons and movie goers. My research centers on the creation and testing of new materials that may one day result in even smaller and lighter batteries. Most of my work focuses on using exotic materials called aerogels as cathodes in lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries work by shuttling lithium ions between the anode and cathode of the battery.
When a battery is discharged, lithium ions flow from the anode to the cathode, accompanied by electrons. This flow of electrons is electrical current and can be used to power portable devices such as laptop computers. The battery can be charged by supplying an external electric current, which drives the lithium ions back to the anode. There are two main problems with current lithium battery materials. One is the time lithium ions need to diffuse through the cathode.