Sony is developing a new type of lithium-ion battery in which the negative
electrodes are made from bamboo. The battery will have almost double the storage
capacity of a standard lithium one. No, you won’t find any thick-stemmed grass
shoots sticking out of your personal stereo because the bamboo is carbonised.
The shoots are baked at 500 掳C and then crushed, sieved and rebaked, this
time at 1300 掳C, before being moulded with stainless mesh to form the
electrode. Sony has not yet decided whether to commercialise the idea.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
3
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far 鈥 plus 6 other great reads
4
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
5
Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time
6
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
7
A promising natural technique to remove CO2 could backfire
8
We鈥檝e uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
9
You should turn off fans when it's too hot 鈥 but how hot is too hot?
10
Parenting may permanently improve brain health for mums and dads
