Longer-lasting batteries get a boost from molecular pulleys

The dream of long-lasting batteries is a little closer now that scientists have made progress on a big problem: a battery material that holds a lot of energy but breaks down quickly. They’ve found a way to use little “pulleys” to keep the material, silicon, intact.

Manufacturers are interested in making a battery component called the anode with silicon instead of graphite. Silicon can hold up to five times more energy — but it also expands up to 400 percent and then cracks, which means the battery life is terrible. In an article published today in the journal Science, scientists engineered pulleys out of molecules. These pulleys hold the silicon in place so it doesn’t expand. In tests, the batteries retained 98 percent effectiveness...

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