New ‘negative battery’ to keep phones charged for a week

We all go through the troubles of charging our phones over and over again, but thanks to a new invention, our phones would only be needed to be charged once a week.

Researchers at NASA have developed a new type of fluoride-based batteries that will enable people to charge their phones only once a week. The researchers replaced the normally used lithium batteries by power cells made of fluoride that can last up to eight times longer.

Apart from powering the next generation of smartphones, the batteries could also be used to power future NASA spacecrafts on their way to deep space. “Fluoride batteries can have a higher energy density, which means that they may last longer – up to eight times longer than batteries in use today. But fluoride can be challenging to work with, in particular because it’s so corrosive and reactive,” said study co-author Robert Grubbs.

Massive battery of new smartphone lasts an entire week

Though the idea being talked about for quite a long time, fluoride has been difficult to work with due to its high energy density that makes it hard to stabilize at room temperature, reported The Sun. Thus, researchers added up a new type of electrolyte liquid.

The new liquid was able to stabilize the battery, hence producing the world’s first rechargeable fluoride cell. As per the team, the new design proves that fluoride is a viable battery and can help in making the batteries that last much longer. The batteries operate in a ‘negative’ fashion that attracts electrons and draw them through a conductor, rather than shedding them.

“We are still in the early stages of development, but this is the first rechargeable fluoride battery that works at room temperature. We’re unlocking a new way of making longer-lasting batteries. Fluoride is making a comeback,” said Simon Jones, author of the study published in the journal Science.