Silicon-air batteries

A new metal-air battery based on silicon-oxygen couple is described. Silicon-air battery employing EMI-2.3HF.F room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as an electrolyte and highly-doped silicon wafers as anodes (fuels) has an undetectable self-discharge rate and high tolerance to the environment (extreme moisture/dry conditions). Such a battery yields an effectively infinite shelf life with an average working voltage of 1-1.2 V. Silicon-air battery can support relatively high current densities (up to 0.3 mA/cm(2)) drawn from flat polished silicon wafers anodes. Such batteries may find immediate applications, as they can provide an internal, built-in autonomous and self sustained energy source. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.