A team of scientists from Stanford University have been working on a bendable battery, stronger and far more efficient than both ion-lithium and alkaline, that can charge a smartphone in 60 seconds. Alternatives, such as alkaline batteries, are known to cause harm to the environment; and don't forget the bad reputation of lithium batteries bursting into flames. This new battery is made of aluminum, an element that has been long sought after for the use of charging but always failed due to low recharge cycles. This time, swapping out the cell's lithium anode for aluminum is generating a whopping 7,500 cycles before starting to degrade. We could be saying goodbye to lithium-powered smartphones soon.

Cost and safety are the biggest advantages at first glance, but there's also efficiency. In discovering this 7,500-cycle ability, the scientists have published their work in Nature, saying it's the first time aluminum has been constructed to perform this way. The technology uses an ionic liquid electrolyte, which is a liquid salt at room temperature, kept inside a flexible pouch covered with a protective polymer (Techcrunch). Its anode and cathode, which consist of the secret ingredient graphite, are able to maintain their performance over this many cycles.

Because the bendable battery is merely in prototype mode, it has some bridges to cross before we will see it used commercially. Although the aluminum allows for super fast charging, just one minute to get a 100% charge, the batteries itself store less energy. This means even though your smartphone may charge up before you even heat up your coffee, it may not stay charged as long as you want. Much needed research will have to be done in order to make these improvements in voltage and energy density. Other than that, these batteries are going to be super inexpensive, fast, flexible, and they most definitely will not blow up.