Fast-charging smartphones? Researchers from Drexel University's College of Engineering are reportedly experimenting with a special material that could one day provide the ability to instantly charge a battery. This could be possible thanks to the superconducting two-dimensional material MXene.
The search for a better battery has been ongoing worldwide since Alessandro Volta created the first one 200 years ago.
Today scientists at Drexel seem to be refining the idea a bit more. 
Dr. Yuri Gogotsi, who leads the team, says:
We demonstrate the charging of thin MXene electrodes in tens of milliseconds. This is achieved by the very high electrical conductivity of MXene. This paves the way for the development of high-speed energy storage devices. They can be charged in a few seconds, but store much more energy than conventional supercapacitors.
MXene isn't a new material, but ongoing research into the graphite-like substance is starting to close the gap between concept and reality. The technology won't be commercially available for a few more years, according to Futurism.
Smartphones that will be able to charge instantly in the near future are just one part of a bigger picture.
Creating a battery that can be directly charged will help the development of electric cars. This could pave the way for advances in many devices.
Dr. Gogotsi explains:
When we start using low-dimensional, electrically conductive materials as battery electrodes, we will be able to make batteries work much, much faster than they do today. Ultimately, realizing this fact will lead to car, laptop, and cell phone batteries that are capable of charging in seconds or minutes instead of hours.
Forget inductive charging or fast charging, direct charging will arrive on mobile phones around 2020.
Can you wait that long to upgrade your device?
