Lithium-air batteries were thought promising in the 1970s as a potential power source for electric vehicles, offering energy densities that rival gasoline and significantly surpass conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, scientists over the last few decades have been unable to overcome challenges to practical application of this technology, including reversible charging and low cyclability that results in battery degradation over few uses. A research team from MIT, Harvard University, and Cornell University has found a way to isolate and study one enigmatic molecule that may be responsible for the breakdown of…
