A team of researchers at Nanyang Technology University in Singapore have developed a lithium-ion battery that is capable of recharging a charge of 70 percent in just two minutes, which compared to the commercially available batteries today, is blazing fast to say the least. And to top it off, the battery has a lifespan of 20 years.
The key to this breakthrough in batteries comes in the form of nanostructures. Instead of graphite that is normally used to create the lithium-ion battery’s anode, the improved technology employs a cheap titanium dioxide gel found on more common material such as sunscreen that function to absorb UV rays. The researchers have found a method that converts the compound into nanostructures that speed up the charging process altogether. With this simple yet effective discovery, lithium-ion batteries can charge 20-times faster and last 20-times longer.
Associate professor Chen Xiaodong of Nanyang Technology University said that if their nanotechnology is implemented in electric-cars, then the time it would take to recharge the battery for said electric-car to maximum capacity would only be five minutes.
The researchers have claimed that the new technology will be commercially available in the next two years. If the new nanotechnology becomes a commercial success, then we will probably be seeing a lot less complaints about battery lifespans in many discussions for mobile phones.
[Source:Gizmodo]
