Air-based battery promises 10 times the power

A new type of air-fuelled battery being studied could provide up to 10 times the energy storage of designs currently available, and eventually be used to power electric cars, mobile phones and laptops, according to researchers at the University of St Andrews.

"Our results so far are very encouraging and have far exceeded our expectations," Professor Peter Bruce, of the university's chemistry department, said in a statement on Monday.

The new idea the researchers are examining is to replace the lithium cobalt oxide electrode in today's rechargeable lithium batteries with a porous carbon electrode. This allows lithium ions and electrons in the cell to react instead with oxygen in the ambient air, according to a press release from the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which finances the research. The studies are being conducted at the University of St Andrews, in conjunction with researchers at Strathclyde and Newcastle.

Cells used in the lab to demonstrate the lithium-air cell are shown here.