Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have found a way to make a battery which will last for years.
They came to the discovery by using a gold nanowire in electrolyte gel rather than a lithium one.
Hence, the battery could withstand 200,000 cycles of charging and lose only 5 percent of its total power.
But, it wasn’t an intentional research and study-doctoral student Mya Le Thai was experimenting in the university lab when she accidentally came to this discovery; one that could potentially make rechargeable batteries last up to 400 years.
This means laptops that last longer, as well as smartphones, and fewer landfills with lithium-ion batteries.
Student accidentally Made a Stunning Discovery
At first, the researchers’ focus was to experiment with nano wires for their potential in battery usage; however, they concluded that the fragile and thin wires would break down over some time and crack.
Thai then coated a set of gold nano wires in manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel.
The head of the university’s chemistry department Reginald Pepper said how Thai began cycling these capacitators and this is when they got the amazing surprise. The thing was cycling 10,000 times and kept on going.
Thai came back several days after and told him that the total cycles have been around 30,000 for a period of one month.
Could this Improve the Short Life of Batteries in Laptops & Phones?
The discovery of Thai is amazing if we take into account that the average laptop battery lasts around 300 to 500 charging cycles.
The nano battery successfully survived around 200,000 cycles in 3 months which means it can prolong the life of an average battery of laptops by 400 years.
Still, the researchers note that the amount of gold nano wire needed for the creation of this battery would increase the prices; this is why they also consider nickel as a replacement to be used in mass production.
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