Innovators Under 35
I6. Gene Berdichevsky, 34
Sila
Nanotechnologies
Exploring new materials for better
lithium-ion batteries.
As
employee number seven at Tesla, Gene Berdichevsky was instrumental in solving
one of its earliest challenges: the thousands of lithium-ion batteries the
company planned to pack into its electric sports car caught fire far more often
than manufacturers claimed. His solution: a combination of heat transfer
materials, cooling channels, and battery arrangements that ensured any fire
would be self-contained.
Now Berdichevsky has
cofounded Sila Nanotechnologies, which aims to make better lithium-ion
batteries. The company has developed silicon-based nanoparticles that can form
a high-capacity anode. Silicon has almost 10 times the theoretical capacity of
the material most often used in lithium-ion batteries, but it tends to swell
during charging, causing damage. Sila’s particles are robust yet porous enough
to accommodate that swelling, promising longer-lasting batteries.
—James Temple
—James Temple
MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
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