Researchers have invented a long-lasting and flexible battery made of aluminum for use in smartphones that can be charged in just one minute. Details about the new battery were disclosed in the journal Nature. The scientists at the Stanford University in California claim that the new aluminum-ion battery has the potential to replace lithium-ion batteries. It is made of an inexpensive metal, it is inflammable, durable, glexible, and uses aluminum for the negatively-charged anode while graphite provided material for the positively charged cathode.

"We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames," said Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford. "Our new battery won't catch fire, even if you drill through it."

But most importantly, the prototype aluminum battery recharged in one minute.

In addition to small electronic devices, aluminum batteries could be used to store renewable energy on the electrical grid, Dai said.

"The grid needs a battery with a long cycle life that can rapidly store and release energy," he explained. "Our latest unpublished data suggest that an aluminum battery can be recharged tens of thousands of times. It's hard to imagine building a huge lithium-ion battery for grid storage."

But more improvements will be needed to match the voltage of lithium-ion batteries, Dai added.

"Our battery produces about half the voltage of a typical lithium battery," he said. "But improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density. Otherwise, our battery has everything else you'd dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It's quite exciting."