Accidental discovery could lead to batteries that charge in seconds


Graphene Super capacitor_2

Portable batteries have been around for long and they are the only reason we have been gifted with products such as Smartphones and even electric cars. However, despite all their advantages, batteries are so slow to charge and discharge that we have to connect a smartphone to the wall socket for hours to recharge the battery completely. Charging electric car batteries is even slower and it needs up to eight hours. Researchers around the world have been tinkering around the possibility of fast charging batteries, but most of them are based on technology that would make the batteries a lot more expensive.

Two UCLA researchers who were actually finding ways to manufacture graphene in a better way, have now accidentally discovered a graphene supercapacitor that can solve all the above mentioned woes. The accidental discovery saw the development of the supercapacitor, which is easy to manufacture, is biodegradable and above all it is capable of charging up to 1000 times faster than a normal battery. For the researchers, the eureka moment came when one of them connected an LED light bulb to a little piece of graphene they made, which was charged for just two seconds. Interestingly, the bulb continued to run for over five minutes.

Graphene Super capacitor_1

Quickly realizing the importance of the product, the duo now estimates that the device could be used in smartphones that charge in just 30 seconds or electric cars that charge in just a few minutes. Moreover, after its life is over, the biodegradable product can be used as a compost to grow vegetables.

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