SOFC-- Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Well this came across my radar yesterday. It appears as if the folks at Harvard have successfully created a Solis Oxide Fuel Cell. Why is this important you might ask? Well, this SOFC works both as a battery and a fuel cell, thereby eliminating the need for batteries in the first place.

You can read about this breakthrough invention here. But I will break it down like this for you: This discovery comes in the face of a breakthrough in anode and cathode design. Previously they had utilized platinum for both the anode and cathode. But once this platinum at the anode was replaced with vanadium oxide the fuel cell went from lasting fourteen seconds to lasting three minutes thirty seconds, at an energy density of 0.2 mA/cm2. Not much but definitely a start in the right direction! I will leave any further description up to experts at the previously mentioned link.