Earlier this month, scientists at Washington State University used a diamond anvil cell to induce extreme pressure on XeF2. The result was a paper-thin semiconductor that stored the massive mechanical energy of the compression as chemical energy in the bonds.
<blockquote><p><em>Using super-high pressures similar to those found deep in the Earth or on a giant planet, Washington State University researchers have created a compact, never-before-seen material capable of storing vast amounts of energy.
"If you think about it, it is the most condensed form of energy storage outside of nuclear energy," says Choong-Shik Yoo, a WSU chemistry professor and lead author of results published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
The research is basic science, but Yoo says it shows it is possible to store mechanical energy into the chemical energy of a material with such strong chemical bonds. Possible future applications include creating a new class of energetic materials or fuels, an energy storage device, super-oxidizing materials for destroying chemical and biological agents, and high-temperature superconductors.</em></p></blockquote>While it may bore the lot of you, this revolution in the miniaturization of power storage has me considering all the possibilities now available.
The article continues here.
Spotted @ Science Daily
