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Stanford University researchers have created a lithium-ion battery that is safe for use and will not catch fire. This invention will be a relief after reported incidents revolving around devices powered by rechargeable batteries. The batteries are designed in such a way that they will automatically turn off before they can reach the dangerous temperatures that cause them to overheat, as per the announcement made by the university on Monday. The study was published in the journal Nature Energy.

This invention will alleviate the dangers of explosive batteries and the products being run on lithium-ion batteries that get recalled from time to time. They are used in wide variety of electronic items such as vehicles, computers, phones, airplanes and even hoverboards. Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford who is part of a team of researchers who worked on the study, said the sensors will stop the battery from operating before it overheats. "People have tried different strategies to solve the problem of accidental fires in lithium-ion batteries," said Dr. Bao in a Stanford press release. "We've designed the first battery that can be shut down and revived over repeated heating and cooling cycles without compromising performance," says The Christian Science Monitor

The problem of overheating was addressed using the nanotechnology by preventing electrons from flowing to the battery when the temperature is high. Due to potential safety issues, their large-scale production has suffered over the years, notes the study. For the study, the Stanford University used the standard lithium-ion batteries that contain electrodes and electrolytes, carrying charged particles between them. As these batteries are punctured, they battery may overheat and cause an explosion if the temperature increases more than 300 degree Fahrenheit, "the electrolyte could catch fire and trigger an explosion," says The Christian Science Monitor