One of the many potential pathways that could lead us to next-gen energy storage for smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles is the use of a solid-state electrolyte, in place of the liquid electrolytes used in today’s lithium batteries. A research team in the US has developed a prototype version of these solid-state batteries that overcomes some of the key roadblocks in this area, demonstrating stable, high-capacity storage through the use of a novel, self-healing material…

The trouble with this are little tentacle-like formations called dendrites, which tend to grow on the surface of one of the electrodes as the battery cycles…

The authors of this new study, who hail from MIT, Texas A&M University, Brown University and Carnegie Mellon University, have put forward a promising solution. The researchers developed a semi-solid metal electrode made of sodium-potassium alloys that they liken to the material dentists use to fill cavities – firm, but able to flow and be molded.
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