Boosting Battery Performance with Seeds and Pitch

Scientists have found a way to make better batteries using seeds and a special coating. They used Indian trumpetflower seeds to create a type of carbon called hard carbon. This carbon is good for storing sodium, which is important for a kind of battery called sodium-ion batteries. But there are some problems with this carbon. It doesn't conduct electricity well, and it wears out quickly. To fix this, the scientists coated the carbon with a sticky substance called pitch. This coating has oxygen in it, which helps the battery work better. The coated carbon can store a lot of energy. It can keep working well even after many charges and discharges. The battery can hold 77% of its capacity after 900 cycles. This is a big improvement over older designs. The coating also protects the carbon from the battery's liquid part, called the electrolyte. This protection helps the battery last longer. The oxygen in the coating also gives the battery more places to store energy. This new method could make sodium-ion batteries better and cheaper. It could also help these batteries become more common in the future. The scientists used a simple and effective way to make the batteries better.