New way to create fast-charging lithium-ion batteries discovered

NEW YORK: Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a way to make lithium-ion battery that can charge within minutes but still operate at a high capacity, an advance that may improve performance for smartphones and electric vehicles. 

A lithium-ion battery charges and discharges as lithium ions move between two electrodes, called an anode and a cathode. In a traditional lithium-ion battery, the anode is made of graphite, while the cathode is composed of lithium cobalt oxide.

These materials perform well together, which is why lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly popular, but researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US believe the function can be enhanced further. 

"The way to make batteries better is to improve the materials used for the electrodes," said Nikhil Koratkar, a professor at Rensselaer. 
"What we are trying to do is make lithium-ion technology even better in performance," Koratkar said in a statement.