"Lithium-ion batteries could hold up to 10 times as much energy per cell if silicon anodes were used instead of graphite ones. But manufacturers don't use silicon because such anodes degrade quickly as the battery is charged and discharged. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Clemson University think they might have found the ingredient that will make silicon anodes work—a common binding agent and food additive derived from algae and used in many household products.

Anode delivers ten times more capacity than conventional designs

The number of uses for nanocomposite materials is staggering. The material has been the source of some revolutionary breakthroughs in many areas of research. One of the most beneficial places for nanocomposite materials has been in battery research.