A team formed at Columbia University to tackle identifying novel light harvesting materials to enhance solar cells, noticed that certain compounds - when charged - were infinitely stable. Further discussion suggested that those who were party to that finding may have perhaps found a way to apply this unique stability to inexpensive molecules in batteries that show no degradation. Armed with a chemistâs toolbox and a new understanding of molecular stability, the XI team saw the possibility/ an opportunity to make batteries that could "change the world". The effort now is to tackle replacement of the chemistry in flow batteries, serving - if successful - to bring 4+ decades of old technology to bear on how grid-scale storage solution could be tackled in the future.
