News in Brief Chemistry

Idea for new battery material isn’t nuts

Recycled packing peanuts turn into carbon microsheets that can boost battery power

packing peanuts

PEANUT POWER  Squishy packing peanuts can transform into cheap, efficient battery parts.

Gabriel Herrera/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

By Beth Mole

- More than 2 years ago

DENVER — Packed into boxes, foam peanuts provide gentle protection. But stuffed into a lithium-ion battery, they pack a powerful electrical punch, researchers reported March 23 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.