Scientistists Develop a revolutionary mobile phone battery that recharges in 10 seconds instead of several hours.
The new device charges 100 times as fast as a conventional battery and could also be used in phones, laptops, iPods and digital cameras.
The same technology could even allow an electric car to be charged up in the same time.
The MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) team say their invention uses materials already available to battery manufacturers and would be simple to mass produce.
The invention is based on conventional lithium ion rechargeable batteries found in most cameras, phones and portable computers. Lithium ion batteries are used in portable gadgets because they store a large amount of energy in a small space.
However, they are also relatively slow at recharging - which can be a nuisance for anyone who forgets to charge up their phone overnight.
Conventional lithium ion batteries contain two electrodes - one made from lithium and one from carbon - submerged in a liquid or paste called an electrolyte. When a battery is being charged up, ions - or positively charged atoms - flow from the lithium electrode to the carbon one. When a battery is discharging, the ions flow the other way.
The researchers took a conventional electrode made from lithium iron phosphate and altered its surface structure so that ions were released and absorbed 100 times more quickly than normal. A prototype made using the new technique could be fully charged or discharged in just 10 to 20 seconds. A similar sized ordinary battery takes 6 minutes to charge.
'The ability to charge and discharge batteries in a matter of seconds rather than hours may open up new technological applications and induce lifestyle changes,' Dr Ceder said.
Although the invention will be popular with owners of electronic portable gadgets - who will no longer need to remember to keep them charged up overnight .
Owners of electric cars would be free to drive long distances, safe in the knowledge that they could top up their battery in a few minutes at a service station - just like the owner of a petrol or diesel car.
The new device charges 100 times as fast as a conventional battery and could also be used in phones, laptops, iPods and digital cameras.
The same technology could even allow an electric car to be charged up in the same time.
The MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) team say their invention uses materials already available to battery manufacturers and would be simple to mass produce.
The invention is based on conventional lithium ion rechargeable batteries found in most cameras, phones and portable computers. Lithium ion batteries are used in portable gadgets because they store a large amount of energy in a small space.
However, they are also relatively slow at recharging - which can be a nuisance for anyone who forgets to charge up their phone overnight.
Conventional lithium ion batteries contain two electrodes - one made from lithium and one from carbon - submerged in a liquid or paste called an electrolyte. When a battery is being charged up, ions - or positively charged atoms - flow from the lithium electrode to the carbon one. When a battery is discharging, the ions flow the other way.
The researchers took a conventional electrode made from lithium iron phosphate and altered its surface structure so that ions were released and absorbed 100 times more quickly than normal. A prototype made using the new technique could be fully charged or discharged in just 10 to 20 seconds. A similar sized ordinary battery takes 6 minutes to charge.
'The ability to charge and discharge batteries in a matter of seconds rather than hours may open up new technological applications and induce lifestyle changes,' Dr Ceder said.
Although the invention will be popular with owners of electronic portable gadgets - who will no longer need to remember to keep them charged up overnight .
Owners of electric cars would be free to drive long distances, safe in the knowledge that they could top up their battery in a few minutes at a service station - just like the owner of a petrol or diesel car.
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