mPhase Technologies and Bell Labs (the R&D arm of Lucent Technologies) claim to have successfully developed the first ever nanotechnology battery. What’s more, the prototype is expected to be turned into commercialised products within just 12 to 15 months.
The battery is based on a Bell Labs’ discovery that liquid droplets of electrolyte will stay in a dormant state atop microscopic structures called “nanograss” until stimulated to flow, thereby triggering a reaction that produces electricity.
The experiment proved that this so-called “super-hydrophobic” effect of liquids can permit precise control and activation of nanograss batteries on demand.
Nanograss nanobatteries could have the potential to deliver decades-long shelf lives and far better storage capacities than existing battery technology. Immediate potential applications include defence, industrial, healthcare and consumer electronics.
“Improvements in battery technology have generally come very slowly in comparison to accelerating development cycles such as Moore’s Law in semiconductors,” says Dave Bishop, VP of nanotechnology research at Bell Labs.
“We believe nanotech, specifically nanograss technology, will allow us to make a significant leap forward in battery capabilities.”