Toughened silicon sponges may make tenacious batteries - Researchers at Rice University and Lockheed Martin reported this month that they've found a way to make multiple high-performance anodes from a single silicon wafer. The process uses simple silicon to replace graphite as an element in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, laying the groundwork for longer-lasting, more powerful batteries for such applications as commercial electronics and electric vehicles. Reference: 'Freestanding macroporous silicon and pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile as a composite anode for lithium ion batteries', Chem. Mater., (10.1021/cm301376t)

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