Indian-origin researcher in US discovers tech that can charge dead laptop or phone in a minute

An Indian-origin researcher in the United States (US) has discovered a technology that can charge a dead laptop or phone in a minute and an electriccar in just 10 minutes. According to a report by ScienceDaily on May 24, this discoverywas madeby Ankur Gupta and his team at the University of Colorado Boulder. While this technology is not possible yet, the research by Gupta and his teamcould potentially lead to such advances.

Gupta is an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at the university. The report said that the teamdiscovered how tiny charged particles, called ions, move within a complex network of minuscule pores.

Advancing energy storage devices

Gupta said that the breakthrough could leadtothe development ofmore efficient energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors."Given the critical role of energy in thefuture of the planet, I felt inspired to apply my chemical engineering knowledge to advancing energy storage devices," he said.

"It felt like the topic was somewhat underexplored andassuch, the perfect opportunity," he added.

The significance of the discovery

As per the ScienceDaily report,the discovery by Gupta and his teamis significant not only for storing energy in vehicles and electronic devices but also for power grids, where fluctuating energy demand requires efficient storage to avoid waste during periods of low demand and to ensure rapid supply during high demand.

Supercapacitors, energy storage devices that rely on ion accumulation in their pores, haverapidcharging times and longer life spanscompared tobatteries.

"The primary appeal of supercapacitors lies in their speed.So how can we make their charging and release of energy faster? By the more efficient movement of ions," Gupta also said.

(With inputs from agencies)