Silicon Battery

Scientists have developed an eco-friendly silicon air battery capable of working for thousands of hours before running out. Technicians at the Technicion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed the device from silicon and oxygen and say that the new battery could be used for medical applications requiring a long shelf-life such as hearing aids and diabetic pumps. “The built-in cathode of conventional batteries is not present in silicon-air batteries, so significant savings could be realized in both weight and cost. The oxygen in our atmosphere is the cathode in silicon-air batteries and current metal-air batteries (used in hearing aids already). Because silicon and oxygen are the two most abundant elements on our planet, this battery could be a breakthrough in clean energy manufacturing.”