The Battery: Not Yet a Terminal Case

It seems inevitable that fuel cells will soon take over many of the jobs that batteries now do (see p. 1222), and increasingly photovoltaic cells and even clockwork are muscling in on their territory. But the chemists and materials scientists who work in the field say they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Complex ceramic electrodes and solid electrolytes made from conducting polymers may keep rivals at bay for years yet.