据新华社消息，美国科技网站Gizmodo报道，新加坡南洋理工大学研究团队最近开发了一款急速充电、续航能力超长的充电电池。该电池根据现有锂离子技术发展而来，能在两分钟之内迅速充电至70%，电池使用寿命可达20年。研究者称在两年内他们会将此项新技术投入市场，应用于电动车、智能手机等领域。
目前，充电锂电池广泛应用于手机、平板电脑以及电动车等领域。来自新加坡的研究团队最近研发出的这种新型的锂离子电池，能在仅仅两分钟内迅速充电至70%。也就意味着它能在15分钟内将一台电车充满电，更强大的是它能使用寿命超过20年。想象一下你可以用几分钟而不是几个小时给一辆特斯拉充满电，而且可以一直开到车被淘汰都不需要更换电池的情景！
通常情况下，对新电池技术保持质疑态度是稳妥的，但是对这项突破不应仅仅充满期待。这项新电池技术并非史无前例，事实上它仅仅是根据现有的锂离子技术发展而来，纳米结构是此项新技术的关键。它采用价格低廉的二氧化钛凝胶取代传统的石墨去生成锂离子电池的正极，这种材料同样应用于吸收紫外线的防晒霜。科学家们发现使纳米材料取代复合材料可以加速充电过程和运转速度。这项简单的创新使锂离子电池可以加快20倍的充电速度以及延长20倍的待机时间。
来自南洋理工大学的陈晓冬（音译）副教授在一次报道中谈到：“有了我们的纳米技术，仅靠五分钟的充电电车就能大大的提升他们的使用范围，这和目前汽车泵汽油的所需时间差不多。”可想而知这对智能手机的发展又有多大影响。
研究者表明在两年内他们会将此项新技术投入市场，电动汽车、智能手机、平板电脑等领域将会受益。
（来源：凤凰科技）
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries Jacquelyn CheokThe Business TimesThursday, Oct 16, 2014 
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
Ultra-fast charging batteries that can be 70% recharged in just two minutes
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) have developed a new battery that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only 2 minutes. The battery will also have a longer lifespan of over 20 years.
Expected to be the next big thing in battery technology, this breakthrough has a wide-ranging impact on many industries, especially for electric vehicles which are currently inhibited by long recharge times of over 4 hours and the limited lifespan of batteries.
This next generation of lithium-ion batteries will enable electric vehicles to charge 20 times faster than the current technology. With it, electric vehicles will also be able to do away with frequent battery replacements. The new battery will be able to endure more than 10,000 charging cycles -- 20 times more than the current 500 cycles of today's batteries.
NTU Singapore's scientists replaced the traditional graphite used for the anode (negative pole) in lithium-ion batteries with a new gel material made from titanium dioxide, an abundant, cheap and safe material found in soil. It is commonly used as a food additive or in sunscreen lotions to absorb harmful ultraviolet rays.
Naturally found in a spherical shape, NTU Singapore developed a simple method to turn titanium dioxide particles into tiny nanotubes that are a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair.
This nanostructure is what helps to speeds up the chemical reactions taking place in the new battery, allowing for superfast charging.
Invented by Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at NTU Singapore, the science behind the formation of the new titanium dioxide gel was published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials, a leading international scientific journal in materials science.
NTU professor Rachid Yazami, who was the co-inventor of the lithium-graphite anode 34 years ago that is used in most lithium-ion batteries today, said Prof Chen's invention is the next big leap in battery technology.
"While the cost of lithium-ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
"There is still room for improvement and one such key area is the power density -- how much power can be stored in a certain amount of space -- which directly relates to the fast charge ability. Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
Prof Yazami, who is Prof Chen's colleague at NTU Singapore, is not part of this research project and is currently developing new types of batteries for electric vehicle applications at the Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERI@N).
Commercialisation of technology
Moving forward, Prof Chen's research team will be applying for a Proof-of-Concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype. The patented technology has already attracted interest from the industry.
The technology is currently being licensed to a company and Prof Chen expects that the new generation of fast-charging batteries will hit the market in two years' time. It holds a lot of potential in overcoming the longstanding power issues related to electro-mobility.
"With our nanotechnology, electric cars would be able to increase their range dramatically with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars," added Prof Chen.
"Equally important, we can now drastically cut down the waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last ten times longer than the current generation of lithium-ion batteries."
The long-life of the new battery also means drivers save on the cost of a battery replacement, which could cost over USD$5,000 each.
Easy to manufacture
According to Frost & Sullivan, a leading growth-consulting firm, the global market of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is projected to be worth US$23.4 billion in 2016.
Lithium-ion batteries usually use additives to bind the electrodes to the anode, which affects the speed in which electrons and ions can transfer in and out of the batteries.
However, Prof Chen's new cross-linked titanium dioxide nanotube-based electrodes eliminate the need for these additives and can pack more energy into the same amount of space.
"Manufacturing this new nanotube gel is very easy," Prof Chen added. "Titanium dioxide and sodium hydroxide are mixed together and stirred under a certain temperature. Battery manufacturers will find it easy to integrate our new gel into their current production processes."
This battery research project took the team of four NTU Singapore scientists three years to complete and is funded by Singapore's National Research Foundation.
Last year, Prof Yazami was awarded the Draper Prize by the National Academy of Engineering for his ground-breaking work in developing the lithium-ion battery with three other scientists.
Journal Reference:
- Yuxin Tang, Yanyan Zhang, Jiyang Deng, Jiaqi Wei, Hong Le Tam, Bevita Kallupalathinkal Chandran, Zhili Dong, Zhong Chen, Xiaodong Chen. Nanotubes: Mechanical Force-Driven Growth of Elongated Bending TiO2-based Nanotubular Materials for Ultrafast Rechargeable Lithium Ion Batteries (Adv. Mater. 35/2014). Advanced Materials, 2014; 26 (35): 6046 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201470238
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book:Lithium-ion_batteries
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries
Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/ntu-start-could-lead-next-big-leap-lithium-ion-batteries#sthash.jOc0hcSq.dpuf
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries
Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/ntu-start-could-lead-next-big-leap-lithium-ion-batteries#sthash.jOc0hcSq.dpuf
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries
Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/ntu-start-could-lead-next-big-leap-lithium-ion-batteries#sthash.jOc0hcSq.dpuf
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries
Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/ntu-start-could-lead-next-big-leap-lithium-ion-batteries#sthash.jOc0hcSq.dpuf
NTU start-up could lead next big leap in lithium ion batteries
Thursday, Oct 16, 2014
A MATERIALS science start-up from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed ultra-fast charging lithium ion batteries, potentially affecting a global market of rechargeable batteries tipped to be worth some US$23.4 billion in 2016.
The new batteries, invented by Chen Xiaodong, an associate professor at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, can be recharged up to 70 per cent in just two minutes, and last over 20 years.
This makes them far superior to current batteries, which take about 40 minutes to get up to 80 per cent of charge, and have a lifespan of only 2-3 years, Prof Chen told The Business Times.
The breakthrough, he said, will have an impact on a wide range of industries that utilise lithium ion rechargeable batteries, among them mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and in particular, electric vehicles.
These vehicles, whose mass adoption the Land Transport Authority is trying to promote here, is not highly popular because of their long recharge times, limited battery lives and the unavailability of charging infrastructure.
With the new technology, drivers of electric vehicles are able to save "tens of thousands" by cutting down on the number of times they need to replace their vehicle batteries, and charge their vehicles in just "a matter of minutes", said Prof Chen.
The technology, however, will not significantly affect general battery costs and capacity, BT learns.
Like before, electric car drivers will continue to pay about US$5,000 for each battery replacement, and can travel 60-160 km on average on a single charge.
"But with a longer lifespan, our batteries can now outlive cars and mobile phones - which typically last 10 and five years respectively - by much longer," said Prof Chen.
And this, he added, can open up new, even eco-friendly prospects in product development.
For instance, mobile phone makers can create a standardised battery type such that it can be recycled for use across different phone models, rather than be trashed together with an old phone only because it cannot be used elsewhere.
"We can drastically cut down on the toxic waste generated by disposed batteries, since our batteries last 10 times longer," said Prof Chen.
Already, the patented technology has attracted industry interest; it is now being licensed by a multi-national corporation (MNC) for mass production.
When asked, NTU declined to disclose the name of the MNC and its dealings, suggesting that these details would be announced soon.
The project team, led by Prof Chen and comprising research fellows Tang Yuxin and Zhang Yanyan as well as PhD student Deng Jiyang, is now applying for a proof-of-concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype.
With support from NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, it has received over S$200,000 in funding from the National Research Foundation and NTU over the last three years.
This invention marks the next big leap in battery technology, said Rachid Yazami, an NTU professor who 30 years ago co-developed the lithium-graphite anode that is used in today's lithium ion batteries.
"While the cost of lithium ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami.
The scientist, who is now developing new battery types for electric vehicle applications at NTU's Energy Research Institute and is not involved in Prof Chen's project, added: "Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."
The latter's new batteries - made possible through nanotechnology where the typical anode of a lithium ion battery (made from graphite) is replaced with a gel made of titanium dioxide nanotubes - are expected to hit the market in the next two years.
This article was first published on Oct 14, 2014.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/ntu-start-could-lead-next-big-leap-lithium-ion-batteries#sthash.jOc0hcSq.dpuf
