Clustered Battery Silicon Nanoparticles (IMAGE) DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Caption Left: Silicon nanoparticles are encased in carbon "yolk shells" and clustered like seeds in a pomegranate. Each cluster has a carbon rind that holds it together, conducts electricity and minimizes reactions with the battery's electrolyte that can degrade performance. Right: Silicon nanoparticles swell during battery charging to completely fill their yolk shells; no space is wasted, and the shells stay intact. Credit Nian Liu, Zhenda Lu and Yi Cui/Stanford Usage Restrictions Please credit License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.