Quantum Dots Made From Fool's Gold Boost Battery Performance (vanderbilt.edu)

Science_afficionado writes: A lot of attempts have been made to use nanocrystals to improve battery performance, but the results have been disappointing. The problem is that when the size of the crystals drop below a certain size they begin to react chemically with the electrolytes which prevents them from recharging. Now, however, a team of engineers from Vanderbilt University report in an article published in the journal ACS Nano that they can overcome this problem by making the nanocrystals out of iron pyrite, commonly known as fool's gold.

Comments

Nanoparticles

[rmdingler]

From chameleons to super batteries...very interesting.

It is produced in raw form as a byproduct of coal production and is so cheap that it is used in lithium batteries that are bought in the store and thrown away after a single use.

Unlike many of the rare earth materials necessary for battery and solar panel manufacture, iron pyrite is (at present) quite plentiful and easily available.