Battery that charges five times faster

Scientists have developed a new graphene-based battery material with charging speed five times faster than today’s lithium-ion batteries.

• The breakthrough by researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) in South Korea provides promise for the next generation mobile batteries and electric vehicles.
• Standard lithium batteries require charging time of at least an hour to fully charge, even with quick charging technology, so numerous attempts to explore new innovative materials have been started.
• Among the materials looked at, graphene, a material with high strength and conductivity, has widely become the primary source of interest. In theory, a battery based on the “graphene ball” material requires only 12 minutes to fully charge, researchers said. This “graphene ball” was utilized for both the anode protective layer and cathode materials. This ensured an increase of charging capacity, decrease of charging time as well as stable temperatures.
• In the study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers used graphene and mass synthesised it into a 3D form using silica (SiO2).
• “Our research enables mass synthesis of .... graphene at an affordable price, ...as the markets for mobile devices and electric vehicles is growing rapidly” said Dr.Son In-hyuk from SAIT, who led the project.