Scientists at the University of Illinois looked at the chemistry of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries — found in cellphones, laptop computers, digital cameras and other portable electronics — and found that like all batteries they tend to break down over time.
“There are many different types of degradation that happen, and fixing this degradation could help us make longer-lasting batteries,” Scott White, a UI materials engineer, said.
One site of damage is the battery’s negatively charged terminal, the anode, which swells and shrinks as the battery is charged and then discharges over time, eventually creating cracks that can interfere with the flow of current and, ultimately, kill the battery.
White embedded tiny microspheres in the anode that would tear open as the anode began cracking, releasing a liquid indium gallium alloy, that fills the cracks in the anode and restores the flow of electricity.
