【科学60秒】海藻之于电池的神奇功效(双语有声)

作者：hahaleaf 来源：沪江论坛 2012-02-02 16:05

双语中文英语

诙谐的语言，生动的内容一分钟快速掌握科技最新动态

Common batteries are electrochemical cells. And they may get better thanks to living cells: the multicellular organism called brown algae.

普通电池都是电化电池，不过在活细胞——多细胞生物，褐藻的帮助下能够得到优化。

Lithium ion batteries include a binder. It holds the graphite nanoparticles that serve as the anode. The binder isn’t active, but researchers say it’s crucial in the battery’s stability. In theory, a silicon anode would make a better battery than graphite, but it’s not stable. Cracks form, and the battery degrades. The researchers thought—could a silicon anode succeed with a better binder?

锂电子电池含有一个粘合剂，里面的石墨毫微粒即为阳极。这个粘合剂并不活跃，但研究人员称它对电池的稳定性有至关重要的作用。理论上说，硅阳极电池要比石墨阳极的好，但不稳定，电池会破裂，也就不中用了。研究人员猜想——硅阳极和粘合剂结合能否奏效？

Seawater has a high concentration of ions, much like the battery’s electrolyte. So the researchers thought that an organism that survives in seawater might provide a natural binder. They tested alginate from brown algae. And it provided such an effective binder for silicon nanoparticles that the system didn’t degrade. The result? A battery that can store more energy, is less expensive, can last longer and wouldn’t use as many toxic chemicals in the manufacturing.

海水的离子浓度高，类似电池的电解液。研究人员推测，海洋生物很可能就是天然粘合剂。于是，他们用褐藻中的藻酸盐进行了一项测试，结果发现藻酸盐正是硅阳极绝佳的粘合剂，电池没有发生破裂。这表明了什么？这表明一种储能量大，价格低廉，耐久性强，有毒材料使用少的电池诞生了。

The research is online in Science Express, in advance of publication in the journal Science. [Igor Kovalenko et al., "A Major Constituent of Brown Algae for Use in High-Capacity Li-Ion Batteries"]

这项研究发表在《科学速递》网页专栏里，相关《科学》杂志尚未出版。

The scientists will refine their alginate efforts, in the hope that fast-growing brown algae can help contribute to our fast-growing battery economy.

科学家们会在藻酸盐研究方面精益求精，以期生长迅速的褐藻能够助迅猛发展的电池经济一臂之力。