The invention requires adding a third electrode on top of the two poles in typical lithium batteries. This third component is used to drain the residual lithium-ions in one of the poles which causes battery decline. By doing so, the battery can be restored to up to 95 per cent of its original capacity.
Adding a third electrode to drain the residual lithium-ions is an idea no one has thought of, just "like having a chicken with three legs", said Prof Yazami. A prototype battery with the third electrode for smartphones was built last June.
Prof Yazami believes his solution could be useful for iPhone users, given tech giant Apple's admission last month that it slowed down older models to prevent unexpected shutdowns due to ageing batteries. The firm recently slashed its price for replacement batteries from $118 to $38 until December this year.
But with this method of renewing batteries, fewer replacements might need to be made. "So maybe battery manufacturers will not like me, but the end users, the customers, I think they will like it," Prof Yazami said.
Dr Wesley Zheng, a scientist at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, who is known for his work in developing high-energy density lithium batteries, said Prof Yazami had taken a "very innovative approach".
"I believe that some manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries would be interested. It can significantly increase the lifetime of current lithium-ion batteries without requiring significant changes to their chemistry," Dr Zheng said.
