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NTU researchers develop new lithium-ion battery that charges to 70% in 2 minutes

By Ng Chong Seng - on 14 Oct 2014, 2:30pm

NTU researchers develop new lithium-ion battery that charges to 70% in 2 minutes

(Clockwise from top) NTU Assoc Prof Chen Xiaodong with research fellow Tang Yuxin and PhD student Deng Jiyang. (Image source: NTU.)

Power is never enough, especially on mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. We’ve seen clever battery innovations from LG Chem, and charging techniques from the likes of Qualcomm (Quick Charge) and Oppo (VOOC charging) - and now, we’re not far away from ultra-fast charging batteries that could last 20 years, courtesy of a team of scientists at Nanyang Technology University (NTU).

Invented by Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, this next-gen lithium-ion battery is able to recharge up to 70% in only two minutes, and possesses a long lifespan of over 20 years (10,000 recharge cycles). This is great news for electric cars owners especially, since they can recharge their cars in mere minutes, about the same amount of time needed for current cars to pump petrol.

The magic lies in the new gel material made from titanium dioxide (an abundant, cheap and safe material) that replaces traditional graphite used for the anode (negative pole) in lithium-ion batteries. By transforming this titanium dioxide into tiny nanotubes, chemical reactions within the new battery are sped up, which in turn enables super-fast charging.

Prof Chen and his team will be applying for a Proof-of-Concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype. With the help of NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, the patented technology has already attracted interest from the industry.

The new tech is currently being licensed by a company for eventual production. Prof Chen expects this new generation of fast-charging batteries to hit the market in the next two years. We can’t wait.

Source: NTU.

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