On chinadaily.com.cn

Tech: Battery can recharge by 'breathing'

Researchers have made a breakthrough using composite materials with sodium carbonate to produce a rechargeable battery that sucks carbon dioxide from the air for its discharge. A team led by Chen Jun, a professor from Nankai University's College of Chemistry in Tianjin, assembled the battery. The "breathable" battery obtains oxygen from the air when discharging and releases oxygen into the air when charging. The battery will provide an energy supply for the Mars probe, since the planet's air is 95 percent carbon dioxide.

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