UC Riverside researchers have developed a low-cost method of turning glass bottles into functional lithium-ion batteries that store nearly 4-times more energy than conventional batteries. The team, headed by Cengiz Ozkan, professor of mechanical engineering, and Mihri Ozkan, professor of electrical engineering at UC Riverside, used a 3-step process. First, they crushed and grounded the glass bottles into a fine white powder. Next, the silicon dioxide is converted into nanostructured silicon, and lastly, the silicon nanoparticles get coated with carbon. Future applications include: extending the range of plug-in hybrid electric / electric vehicles, and providing extra power with fewer charges to laptops, cell phones, and other mobile devices. Continue reading for more interesting photos from around the web.