Scientists at Stanford University say they have developed an ultrafast aluminum battery that can be charged in as little as one minute.
Researchers say the long-lasting and inexpensive prototype could also become a safer alternative to other batteries in wide use today, such as environmentally unfriendly alkaline batteries or lithium-ion batteries, which are flammable.
“Our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life,” said Stanford chemistry professor Hongjie Dai, in a press release. “Our new battery won’t catch fire, even if you drill through it.”
The prototype is also bendable, meaning pliable electronic devices could become a possibility.
The technology for making the commercially viable aluminum battery, something that has eluded scientists for decades, was discovered when scientists paired graphite with aluminum.
This resolved a key durability issue, allowing the Stanford battery to last 7,500 charging cycles without weakening.
Past aluminum batteries developed in other laboratories died after only 100 charging cycles, and lithium-ion batteries, which are used in the majority of electronic devices, typically last only 1,000 cycles.
The post A battery that could charge your phone in one minute? Ask Stanford. appeared first on PBS NewsHour.