UK's lithium-ion battery design to offer higher energy storage for EVs

Researchers at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute have developed a novel lithium-ion battery anode design called Vertically Integrated Silicon–Carbon Nanotube (VISiCNT) that significantly enhances energy storage capacity for electric vehicles (EVs). This design involves growing dense forests of carbon nanotubes directly onto copper foil, which is then coated with a thin silicon layer. This flexible and conductive scaffold accommodates silicon’s expansion during charging cycles, resulting in an anode that stores over 3500 mAh/g—nearly the theoretical maximum for silicon and substantially higher than the 370 mAh/g typical of graphite anodes used today. The VISiCNT anode also maintains stability and performance over hundreds of charge cycles. A major advantage of this technology is its compatibility with existing battery manufacturing processes, as carbon nanotubes are grown directly on copper foil, a standard material in commercial batteries. This scalability could facilitate integration into current industrial production lines with minimal disruption. The researchers highlight that beyond EVs, the technology