The three-year project led by Jian Shi, assistant professor in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, will study whether lignin, a component of cell walls in woody plants and stone fruits, can be efficiently extracted and processed with silicon nanoparticles to form composite materials for battery electrodes. If successful, UK researchers are particularly interested in using the technology to produce batteries for cell phones and electric cars.
According to uknow.uky.edu, the project has the potential to greatly improve the economic viability of regional bioenergy systems and to generate extra revenue for US fruit and nut growers and processors.
