Rapid charger

Rapid charging and longer lasting lithium battery technology

Amy Prieto with her 3D 'sponge' battery

American universities are very good at launching start up commercial ventures for the many exciting technology developments coming out of their labs.

Colorado State chemistry professor, Amy Prieto is the brains behind Prieto Battery.  Amy's technology is a lithium ion battery with an anode (positive electrode) comprising copper nanowires.

The Prieto battery is not like the conventional battery made up of anode and cathode, separated by a liquid electrolyte.  Instead the electrolyte is a solid polymer.  By creating an anode from millions of nanowires this electrode has a much greater surface area than a conventional one, meaning it can store many more lithium ions.

The electrodes are intertwined (or interdigitated) in a 3 dimensional array that greatly increases the power density.  There is almost instant recharge capability at just 5 minutes and the batteries should last 5 times longer than traditional lithium ion.   For a cleaner, greener advantage the solid polymer electrolyte means that the toxic elements found in conventional batteries are largely eliminated.

Prieto is not alone in the use of nanowire and nanotube technology for the electrodes but their technology, and their ability to raise the millions needed for research, means that they are getting much closer to producing the highly anticipated prototype.

Interdigitated (intertwined) electrodes in Prieto Li-Ion battery

Links to Prieto battery technology

Prieto battery home

How the Prieto lithium battery works

The Prieto battery technology (youTube)

Battery sponges (Discovery)

The search for a better battery