USA – The carbon fibers of a form of wild mushroom, modified with nanoparticles have shown that they are better than conventional electrodes of lithium ion batteries (Li-ion).

The batteries have two electrodes: anode and cathode.  The anodes, in most batteries ion current, are made of graphite. Most of the time, the lithium ions are in a liquid called the electrolyte, but during battery recharging, they are stored in the anode.

According to Vilas Pol of Purdue University, the current performance of the lithium ions must progress a lot as both energy density and power output need to meet the demand for energy storage in electric vehicles and technologies for energy storage networks.  Therefore, there is an immense need to develop new anode materials with greater performance.

Pol’s team has found that the carbon fibers derived from fungus Tyromyces fissilis if bound to cobalt oxide nanoparticles, surpass the commonly used graphite anodes.

“Both the carbon fibers and cobalt oxide particles are electrochemically active, so your capacity number goes higher because they both participate,” he said.

Hybrid stable anodes have a capacity of 530 milliamps per gram, which is 150% more than the capacity of graphite.

The study has been published in the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.