Batteries which charge to full in minutes are on the way after Cambridge breakthrough

Mobile companies are in an arms race to find battery technology which can charge faster – but a new breakthrough by Cambridge scientists could change the game.

Researchers say that niobium tungsten oxides could be used for safe, super-fast-charging batteries.

The complex crystalline structure of the material means batteries could charge extremely quickly, and deliver high power.

The batteries may not just be used to power handheld devices – they could also help the adoption of ‘clean’ technologies such as electric cars and solar power.

MOST POPULAR STORIES ON YAHOO UK TODAY

Blood Moon: How to watch the longest total lunar eclipse this century on Friday
Yahoo UK Pictures of the week: Roads, rides and royals
Why do people think the Blood Moon heralds the end of the world?
Shock brawl breaks out in MacDonald’s over ‘free soft drink’
Here’s the scientific reasons why British people can’t cope with the heatwave

Batteries using niobium tungsten oxides could also be made relatively cheaply, the researchers say.

‘We’re always looking for materials with high-rate battery performance, which would result in a much faster charge and could also deliver high power output,’ said Dr Kent Griffith, a postdoctoral researcher in Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry.

‘Many battery materials are based on the same two or three crystal structures, but these niobium tungsten oxides are fundamentally different.’