CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jun 21, 2010 -- UPI



U.S. scientists say they've discovered the use of carbon nanotubes for one of a lithium battery's electrodes can dramatically improve its energy capacity.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers said they determined the use of carbon nanotubes can produce a significant increase -- up to tenfold -- in the amount of power the battery could deliver from a given weight of material, compared with a conventional lithium-ion battery.

They said such electrodes might find applications in small portable devices, and, with further research, might also lead to improved batteries for larger, more power-hungry applications.

The findings by a team led by Associate Professor Yang Shao-Horn and Professor Paula Hammond, which included researchers Naoaki Yabuuchi and Seung Woo Lee, are reported in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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