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March 24, 2017

A battery inspired by vitamins -- Science360 Extra


What happens when there isn't any wind to spin the blades of a wind turbine? Or there's no sun to charge those solar panels? National Science Foundation-funded researchers at Harvard University may have a solution. In episode 69, Jordan and Charlie explore a new class of molecules inspired by vitamin B2 that can safely store electricity from intermittent energy sources like solar and wind power in large batteries. With only a few tweaks to the original B2 molecule, this new group of molecules becomes a good candidate for low-cost alkaline "flow batteries"--batteries that store energy in solutions in external tanks.

Original air date: November 18, 2016

Credit: National Science Foundation (NSF)


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