"Zapped" graphene increases power density of lithium-ion batteries

That which doesn't kill it makes it stronger . . . Research has revealed that the action of "zapping" a sheet of graphene with a laser or super-concentrated camera flash actually helps it become a more powerful anode for lithium ion batteries. It works because the damage done to the sheet allows the ions to cycle more quickly through the cracks and newly-created pores, without damaging the actual charging ability of the battery.

The new material is made from graphene, which is the world's thinnest material. They took a sheet of graphene and blasted it with a camera flash or laser to deform it, causing several pores and cracks. This made the graphene sheet a great anode for lithium ion batteries because the lithium ions could cut through the pores/cracks to charge and discharge rather than run the entire length of graphene (which took much longer). This ultimately increased the power density. Source

Other research revealed graphene's self-healing capacity to "knit" itself back together. Hole-burning "metals" which were initially thought to damage sheets of graphene were later discovered to magically mend themselves. Source