As the engine room of so much of the modern world, there is an intense focus on boosting the performance of today’s batteries and researchers are exploring all kinds of avenues in pursuit of that aim. Whether it is crafting the world’s fastest electrodes, building battery parts out of nuclear waste or preventing fire danger with the help of sound waves, 2020 showed us just how imaginative scientists can be when it comes to developing technologies for next-generation energy storage.

This year, we’ve looked at numerous creative ways to improve the functionality of electrodes, seen how dashes of graphene can make electrolytes tougher and how advanced materials might help batteries charge faster or offer far greater densities. Let’s have a look at these research highlights, along with some more radical battery designs that are the result of thinking outside the box.

Putting the pedal to the metal