INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

Scientists have found a new way to make batteries both cheaper and more capable, by “doping” them.

The technique adds small amounts of easily available elements to the batteries to dramatically change their performance.

The world has become heavily dependent on lithium-ion batteries, used in everything from our cars to our mobile phones, as well as for storing energy. But they suffer from a range of problems, including their heavy reliance on rare and expensive resources.

Researchers hope that can be approved by moving towards more efficient and sustainable materials in the battery cathodes.

Last year, researchers announced that they had found a new material for that cathode that allows for a high capacity using iron and oxygen reactions. But it brought problems, because charging and recharging those batteries produced oxygen.

Now researchers say that “doping” process could overcome that problem – and lead to the new technology being useful.