The new class of high-performing organic molecules called quinones can safely store electricity from intermittent energy sources like solar and wind power in large batteries. American researchers analyzed about a million different quinones, before to create a new class of battery electrolyte material. According to them, it expands the possibilities of what scientists can do.
Instead of metal ions used as conventional battery electrolyte materials they used acidic electrolytes with quinones, molecules that store energy in plants and animals. Hinted at this way by nature the researchers became closer to developing high-performing, long-lasting and inexpensive flow batteries. Moreover the new technology will be much “greener” than existing ones because quinones are nonflammable, non-toxic and they also don’t corrode other active substances.
This work was funded by a Department of Energy ARPA-E award. The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances technologies developers of which focus on entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ITMO U research team headed by Alexander Atrashchenko, also plans to submit an application to this grant. The project is called “New generation of super condensers.” Its’ engineers aim to replace lithium-ion batteries with a new type of condensers that can improve the efficiency of various devices – from wrist watch to Boeing Dreamliner’s accumulators. Today developers aspire to create fast chargeable and environmentally safe energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries meet none of these requirements.
According to Alexander Atrashchenko, the main challenge faced by modern energetics is expensive technologies for storing large amounts of energy. That is why renewable energy devices are not used everywhere. They collect energy from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain and others. They cannot give energy on request because these devices receive energy only under certain weather conditions. It means that it is necessary to use both traditional and renewable energy sources so as to launch non-renewable ones when renewable don’t work.
However recent research breakthroughs including results gained by Harvard University experts help to improve energy source systems and make them more effective.
To increase energy efficiency of various devices ITMO University researchers implement hybrid nanostructures. They can be applied to photovoltaic elements of solar batteries. Currently such batteries don’t absorb light in infrared region. However if one adds a structure with quantum dots the device will absorb all kind of light waves.
By developing acceptable and effective renewable energy sources one will be able to struggle with plenty of ecological challenges and increase quality of life all around the globe.
