Banana peels as a source for cold-resistant batteries
August 20, 2025 – An international research team has developed a way to turn banana peels into material for lithi-um-ion batteries that keep working even at -30 °C. The study, published in Energy & Environmental Materials, demonstrates how waste biomass can support cleaner energy storage.
The process uses extracts from banana peels to convert tin ions into tin oxide nanoparticles. The remaining material provides carbon, resulting in a SnO₂/carbon composite that is both stable and conductive. Tests showed the composite retained more than 600 mAh g⁻¹ at -20 °C after 100 cycles, and still about 383 mAh g⁻¹ at -30 °C.
Unlike conventional production, this method requires no toxic chemicals and uses much less energy, making it environmentally friendly. According to the researchers, the approach could be applied to other metal oxides as well, opening the door to more sustainable battery technologies.
The research was published on August 19 in Energy & Environmental Materials titled ‘Green Synthesis of SnO2/Carbon Composite Anode for Low-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries’.
