SolidEnergy’s Solid Polymer Ionic Liquid (SPIL) lithium battery placed between Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and Apple’s iPhone batteries. Photo: SolidEnergy
Smartphones that last twice as long before they need to be recharged could soon become reality after a US tech start-up revealed a portable battery with more than double the capacity of those currently on the market.
Run by Chinese-American Qichao Hu, US firm SolidEnergy’s Solid Polymer Ionic Liquid (SPIL) lithium battery’s prototype cells (2Ah) demonstrated a world record 1,337 Wh/L energy density in tests, according to A123 Systems, a battery manufacturing company that also provides test and validation services.
SolidEnergy said the energy capacity per volume is more than twice that of conventional lithium-ion batteries currently used in most portable electronic devices, such as smartphones. Most smartphone batteries on the market have an energy density of less than 600 Wh/L.
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Hu developed the polymer ionic liquid (PIL) lithium metal battery when he was working in the lab of renowned material chemistry professor Donald Sadoway during his post-graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He founded SolidEnergy in 2012, shortly after graduation. The company currently has 12 members of staff, including Hu, all researchers.
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Read the full article at South China Morning Post