Lithium-ion batteries consist of five layers: a negative current collector, an anode that attracts negatively charged ions, an ion-conducting separator, a cathode to attract positively charged ions and a positive current collector. Lithium-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles and for grid-scale energy storage, and power many electronics. Though this power source is expensive, the price of battery storage may be half of today’s cost by 2025, as reported in Scientific American. The popularity of electric vehicles in the United States is one phenomenon that could drive the prices for lithium-ion batteries down. Automobile industry experts predict that electrical vehicles will make up 10 percent of the market by 2020. Conventional lithium-ion batteries depend on an extremely flammable liquid electrolyte to transfer the charge between the cathode and anode. Liquid lithium-ion batteries can ignite quickly if they overheat, while new solid-state versions undergoing experimentation are more stable.
