IRG-I Highlight: Virus-grown battery materials

1. IRG-I Highlight: Virus-grown battery materials b Authors: A. Belcher, G. Ceder (MIT) Widely used in small electronic devices and in the nascent market for HEVS (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), lithium ion batteries store more energy for their weight, operate at a higher voltage, and hold a charge much longer than other rechargeable batteries. As a new approach,Belcher and Ceder of the MIT MRSEC have explored a biological way to create new charge storage materials for lithium ion batteries by using a virus as a scaffold to template the growth and assembly of nanoscale electrode materials. The genetically engineered M13 virus (E4 virus) successfully provided a platform for the growth of the amorphous iron phosphate, which can be used as a promising positive electrode material (top image). For electrochemical testing of the obtained amorphous iron phosphate, silver nano rods, which were also grown on separate E4 virus, were added as a conducting agent. The preliminary electrochemical data show that more than 120mAh/g of capacity (theoretical capacity of FePO4·2H2O is 140mAh/g) can be delivered. A small coin cell battery made from the virus-grown material powering an LED is shown in the bottom image. Because of self-replication, virus growth of nanomaterials can be easily scaled up as an effective way to fabricate novel battery materials. a Image. TEM image of an amorphous iron phosphate nanoparticle grown on a genetically engineered virus template. Y.J. Lee, H. Yi, W-J Kim, K. Kang, D.S. Yun, M.S.. Strano, G. Ceder, and A.M. Belcher. Fabricating Genetically Engineered High-Power Lithium Ion Batteries Using Multiple Virus Genes. Science324 (5930), 1051-1055 (2009). This research was supported by the NSF MRSEC Program (award DMR-0819762). Image. Coin cell battery made from virus-grown material.