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Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that nanotubes covered with chemical fuel can produce an electrical current as they burn, yielding up to 100 times more power by weight than a conventional battery.


The phenomenon, dubbed "thermopower waves," could eventually have energy applications, say the researchers, who published their findings in Nature Materials this week.


One benefit of the nanotubes is that they do not lose stored energy over time, said Michael Strano, an associate chemical engineering professor at MIT.


Scientists could eventually develop a system that repeatedly replenishes the fuel around the nanotubes to continue providing electricity more efficiently than a conventional battery, Strano said.


"The conventional fuel cell has been around since the 1800s but corrosive fuels, catalytic deactivation and complexity have been a hurdle," he said. "From an engineering standpoint, thermopower waves could be a very simple alternative."


The MIT researchers have used lasers and electric sparks to start the reaction, which requires only a small amount of energy. The minuscule nanometers are coated in cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, a chemical also called RDX and used as a military explosive.

Tags: Batteries, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, Plug-ins and Electric, Battery, Fuel Cell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Nanotube

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Treated Nanotubes Said to Yield 100 Times More Power Than Conventional Battery was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.