Will we soon be able to charge smartphones in 1 minute?

New research results reveal that a supercapacitor could significantly reduce the charging time of electric cars and electrical devices. For example, it should be possible to charge a smartphone in one minute.

In recent years, demand for energy storage solutions has skyrocketed. But depending on the approach, it can take a long time for a battery to be fully charged. Researchers at CU Boulder recently made a discovery that could change the way we store energy.

The findings could mean that we can charge so-called supercapacitors more quickly. As a result, the approach significantly improves energy storage in electronic devices and power grids. This means that in the future we could fully charge our smartphones in less than a minute or electric cars in just ten minutes.

Supercapacitor: Faster charging times and longer lifespan

The researchers, led by Ankur Gupta, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, discovered how the small ions move in a complex network of tiny pores. This understanding could lead to even more efficient energy storage devices.

The discovery is particularly beneficial for supercapacitors. Compared to batteries, these have faster charging times and a longer lifespan. A key advantage of supercapacitors is their speed. They store energy by accumulating ions in their pores. This leads to rapid charging and discharging times.

Will more efficient devices be available soon?

Among other things, the researchers showed that the movement of ions at the intersection points of the pores is different than previously assumed. This led to the modification of Kirchhoff's law, which has described the flow of current in electrical circuits since 1845. Before this study, papers described ion movements only in straight pores.

Now scientists can simulate the movements in a complex network of thousands of interconnected pores and predict them in just a few minutes. This discovery closes an important gap in knowledge and could form the basis for the next generation of energy storage technologies. Better devices and more efficient power grids could be the result.

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