---
title: "New paper-like material could boost electric vehicle batteries"
description: "Researchers at the University of California have developed a novel paper-like material for lithium-ion batteries."
date: "2015-02-18"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Radu Serban"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/techie1986"
url: "https://futurism.com/new-paper-like-material-could-boost-electric-vehicle-batteries"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Future Materials"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "materials"
---

# New paper-like material could boost electric vehicle batteries

![Default Futurism featured image](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Futurism-Filler-Image.jpg>)

- This paper-like material is composed of sponge-like silicon nanofibers more than 100 times thinner than human hair. It could be used in batteries for electric vehicles and personal electronics.
- The nanofibers were produced using a technique known as electrospinning, whereby 20,000 to 40,000 volts are applied between a rotating drum and a nozzle, which emits a solution composed mainly of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), a chemical compound frequently used in the semiconductor industry. The nanofibers are then exposed to magnesium vapor to produce the sponge-like silicon fiber structure.
- The researchers' future work involves implementing the silicon nanofibers into a pouch cell format lithium-ion battery, which is a larger scale battery format that can be used in EVs and portable electronics.