Batteries

In a new concept for battery cathodes, nanometer-scale particles made of lithium and oxygen compounds (depicted in red and white) are embedded in a sponge-like lattice (yellow) of cobalt oxide, which keeps them stable. The researchers propose that the material could be packaged in batteries that are very similar to conventional sealed batteries yet provide much more energy for their weight.

New lithium-oxygen battery greatly improves energy efficiency, longevity

New chemistry could overcome key drawbacks of lithium-air batteries.

July 25, 2016

Professional rider and founder of Mirai EV of Japan Yosihiro Kishimoto rides the electric bike designed by the KOMMIT Electric Vehicle Team.

Team led by MIT engineers places second at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Motorcycle completes 12.5 miles, 156 turns for a second-place finish in the race's Electric Bike Division.

July 11, 2016

A new concept for a flow battery functions like an old hourglass or egg timer, with particles (in this case carried as a slurry) flowing through a narrow opening from one tank to another. The flow can then be reversed by turning the device over.

New concept turns battery technology upside-down

Pump-free design for flow battery could offer advantages in cost and simplicity.

May 25, 2016

Angela Belcher (pictured), MIT professor of biological engineering and materials science and engineering; Paula Hammond, professor and head of the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering; Po-Yen Chen PhD ’15 (now at Brown University); and others have shown that a novel, high-efficiency, low-cost solar cell can be made using lead recovered from an abundant, old-technology source: lead-acid car bat...

Solar energy from discarded car batteries

An MIT development could benefit both the environment and human health.

December 22, 2015

Jay Whitacre, winner of the 2015 $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize

Jay Whitacre wins $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for invention of a revolutionary battery

First mass-produced, low-cost, eco-friendly battery has the potential to transition the world toward a more sustainable energy future.

September 15, 2015

Illustrations show the crystal structure of a superionic conductor. The backbone of the material is a body-centred cubic-like arrangement of sulphur anions. Lithium atoms are depicted in green, sulfur atoms in yellow, PS4 tetrahedra in purple, and GeS4 tetrahedra in blue. Researchers have revealed the fundamental relationship between anion packing and ionic transport in fast lithium-conducting mat...

Going solid-state could make batteries safer and longer-lasting

New research paves the way for rechargeable batteries with almost indefinite lifetimes, researchers say.

August 17, 2015

A new "yolk"-and-"shell" nanoparticle could boost the capacity and power of lithium-ion batteries.

“Yolks” and “shells” improve rechargeable batteries

Aluminum could give a big boost to capacity and power of lithium-ion batteries.

August 5, 2015

A pilot manufacturing plant at 24M's headquarters in Cambridge has produced thousands of test batteries to demonstrate the efficiency of the new design.

New manufacturing approach slices lithium-ion battery cost in half

Reinventing how these batteries are made also improves their performance and recyclability.

June 23, 2015

De-stressing lithium batteries

Modeling mechanical stress in solid-state lithium batteries yields insights into battery microstructure for MIT postdoc Giovanna Bucci.

June 17, 2015

Faculty highlight: W. Craig Carter

Materials science professor develops algorithms to solve problems across disciplines, strengthens online teaching techniques, and contributes to scientific art.

June 1, 2015

MIT Professor Yang Shao-Horn, center, speaks to Skoltech Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage (CEES) researchers from MIT and Moscow State University during a meeting at the MIT Materials Processing Center in February. Listening are MIT Professor Paula Hammond (left) and Skoltech CEES Director Keith Stevenson, who is based in Moscow.

Fostering U.S.-Russia energy innovation

Skoltech Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage brings together researchers from MIT and two Russian institutes to develop advanced batteries and fuel cells.

April 10, 2015

Button battery with electric waves coming from the top sits atop a red square.

New way to make batteries safer

Coating prevents electrical current from damaging the digestive tract after battery ingestion.

November 3, 2014

Eta Devices' chip (depicted here) can essentially “switch gears” to adjust voltage supply to power amplifiers in smartphones as needed, cutting power loss to improve battery life.

Beating battery drain

Startup’s power-conserving chip may increase smartphone battery life, save energy in cell towers.

October 28, 2014

A physical model of the liquid metal battery at room temperature, in a glass container. The bottom layer is the positive electrode. In the real battery this is an alloy of antimony and lead, represented here by mercury. The middle layer is the electrolyte — in reality, a mixed molten salt; here, a solution of salt in water. The top layer is the current collector of the negative electrode, a meta...

New formulation leads to improved liquid battery

Cheaper, longer-lasting materials could enable batteries that make wind and solar energy more competitive.

September 21, 2014

Ambri co-founders David Bradwell and Donald Sadoway

Re-inventing the grid

Cambridge-based MIT startup Ambri is building a novel liquid metal battery for grid-level storage to revolutionize energy in the 21st century.

September 3, 2014

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Browse By

Topics

Departments

Centers, Labs, & Programs

Schools

Topic