Bigger, Cheaper, Safer Batteries: New material charges up lithium-ion battery work

A metal-spiced mineral may lead to cheaper batteries for cellular phones and laptop computers. The new material, which researchers would use to make lithium-ion batteries’ positive electrodes, should also be safe enough for building large, lightweight batteries for power-hungry hybrid electric vehicles and power tools.

Lithium-ion batteries, first introduced by Sony over a decade ago, are now widely used as convenient, lightweight, and rechargeable power sources for cell phones, laptops, and some other gadgets.