(Phys.org) —Silicon is in great demand. When used in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which power smartphones and electric and hybrid cars, silicon anodes have a much greater theoretical capacity than conventional graphite anodes. However, anodes made from silicon alloys suffer from capacity fading, which makes them inefficient. Jang Wook Choi and his colleagues at several Korean universities have found a way to convert silica from rice husks, a cheap and widely available resource, into silicon for use in high-performance LIBs. This silicon has a naturally occurring nanoporous structure that prevents capacity fading. The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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