Batteries that use aluminum and oxygen normally live fast and die young. But a new design could help these high-energy devices endure.
Aluminum-air batteries are promising candidates for a new generation of non-rechargeable batteries, because they’re super lightweight and compact. The batteries, however, aren’t widely used because their internal components quickly degrade each other. In the new aluminum-air setup, described in the Nov. 9 Science, oil acts as a buffer between the battery’s corrosive components to greatly extend the device’s shelf life. Such improved single-use batteries could provide backup power to electric cars or supply energy in remote, off-the-grid regions.