'I want to talk to Steve Jobs about our iPhone batteries because I want a transparent'. With this sentence, joked Yi Cui, professor of materials engineering laboratory of photonics at Stanford University when asked why he and his colleague Yang Yuan gave them for trying to create a transparent battery.
This bizarre creation that has been released few days ago in a publication of the prestigious university, is a fully functional, but misses 62% of light through the structure (which would rather describe as translucent, not transparent) and is also flexible.
The motivation for both scientists is rare. 'We can make a more powerful battery' Ensures Cui, 'but also wanted to make it more aesthetic. "In this particular statement, the scientist adds that "Furthermore, the fact that it is transparent allows us to study of the processes taking place inside."
Whether for whatever reason, the case is that the invention is not exactly lacking in development. The team led by Cui has had to replace virtually all materials of batteries. The core of these strange battery consists of two grids of a material called polydimethylsiloxane used in plastic surgery and contact lenses, which has since been covered with microscopic particles of metal to make it conductive.
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The key thing is that, according to Cui, the human eye can not distinguish particles below 50 microns of what, for all purposes, is as transparent when correctly aligned. Thus, the filament grids measure only 35 microns polydimethylsiloxane. Then the structure is submerged in a clear gel that acts as electrolyte and encased in a transparent cover.
As you add layers of this structure can increase the battery power at the expense of a slight loss of transparency. The good news is that the battery is transparent and Yang Cui is fully functional and cost of production is the same as a Li-Ion battery standard. The bad news is that, in the same size, power is lower (equivalent to a nickel-cadmium). Cui is optimistic about the future development of these batteries. What we do not know is whether Mr. Jobs will share his enthusiasm.
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