A lecturer from the University of Chester is part of an international team who have turbo-charged energy storage devices that could be used in hybrid cars.
Dr Gavin Hazell, from the faculty of science and engineering at Thornton Science Park, is co-author of a study that reveals how supercapacitors can be boosted by chemicals similar to laxatives.
These devices are essential components in modern hybrid cars and can outperform batteries in terms of higher power and better efficiency.
This is particularly the case during regenerative braking, when the captured energy is turned into electricity to be stored in supercapacitors ready for use.
The idea is to reduce energy consumption and make hybrid vehicles even more environmentally friendly.
Challenging operations, such as oil drilling and space exploration, could benefit from this new class of materials.
The international team’s paper is published in the journal Nature Materials.
Dr Gavin Hazell, from the University of Chester, said: “A discovery of this kind utilizes a team of scientists from across the globe. The team has a very diverse set of skills including synthetic chemistry, advanced structural, microscopy and computational methods.
“The work demonstrates the power of scientific research ‘without borders’, the groups from different nations were able to sum their individual expertise to allow for this fascinating discovery.”
Top news stories
To receive one WhatsApp message a day with the main headlines from CheshireLive, as well as breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07500 881875. Then add the number to your phone contacts book as 'CheshireLive'.
Your phone number won't be shared with other members of the group.
